Professional Documents
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Shelter Program
A Program by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (3/2011) Page 1
Table of Contents
What is C.L.A.S.S.? .................................................................................................................................................. 5 How Can C.L.A.S.S. Help Your Shelter Dogs? ....................................................................................................... 5 The C.L.A.S.S. Shelter Program Logistics .......................................................................................................... 6 Syllabus Options ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Lesson Plans.................................................................................................................................................... 7 Flashcards ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Supplemental Material .................................................................................................................................... 7 One Week Syllabus ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Introductions ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Explain the Purpose of the Program ..................................................................................................... 7 Explain the Logistics of the Program ................................................................................................... 8 General Tips ......................................................................................................................................... 8 What is the C.L.A.S.S. Assessment? .................................................................................................... 8 Dogs and Shelters ................................................................................................................................. 8 How We Train Dogs ............................................................................................................................. 9 Dog Body Language ............................................................................................................................. 9
Six Week Syllabus .................................................................................................................................................. 9 First week: ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1. 2. 1. 1. 1. Introductions ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Explain the Purpose of the Program ................................................................................................... 10 Explain the Logistics of the Program ................................................................................................. 10 General Tips ....................................................................................................................................... 10 What is the C.L.A.S.S. Assessment? .................................................................................................. 10 Dogs and Shelters ............................................................................................................................... 11 Dog Body Language ........................................................................................................................... 11 How We Train Dogs ........................................................................................................................... 11 Lesson Plan #1 .................................................................................................................................... 12 Lesson Plan #2 .................................................................................................................................... 12 Lesson Plan #3 .................................................................................................................................... 13 Lesson Plan #4 .................................................................................................................................... 13
Third week: ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 Fourth week: .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Fifth week: ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Sixth week: ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
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1.
Lesson Plans ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Lesson Plan #1 .............................................................................................................................................. 13 How to Teach: The Attention or Watch Me Behavior................................................................................ 14 Why Teach Attention to a dog? .................................................................................................................... 14 Lesson Plan #2 .............................................................................................................................................. 15 How to Teach: Sit and Down .......................................................................................................................... 16 Sit .................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Down ............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Teaching Dogs Not to Jump on People........................................................................................................... 17 Lesson Plan #3 .............................................................................................................................................. 18 How to Teach: Loose Leash Walking ............................................................................................................. 19 Simple Loose Leash Walking: Clicker/Marker Method with Walking Backwards ..................................... 20 Walking Backwards/Adding Penalty Yards ................................................................................................. 21 Off-Leash Practice ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Verbal Commands ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Adding in distractions ................................................................................................................................... 22 Adding in an Automatic Sit .......................................................................................................................... 22 Lesson Plan #4 .............................................................................................................................................. 22 How to Teach: Leave It.................................................................................................................................... 23 How to Teach: Stay .......................................................................................................................................... 24 Lesson Plan #5 .............................................................................................................................................. 25 How to Teach: Wait ......................................................................................................................................... 25 Wait at Door .................................................................................................................................................. 25 Wait for Food ................................................................................................................................................ 25 How to Teach: the Recall ................................................................................................................................ 26 Recall Games ................................................................................................................................................ 27 What to do if your doesnt come? ................................................................................................................. 27 Supplemental Information ................................................................................................................................. 28 Using Food in Training .................................................................................................................................... 28 1. Rewards Lead to Increased Behavior ....................................................................................................... 28 2. My Dog Will Only Work for Food! ...................................................................................................... 28 3. Rewards versus Bribes .............................................................................................................................. 28 Some important things to remember when using food in training are: ..................................................... 28 Non-Food Rewards.......................................................................................................................................... 30 Toys............................................................................................................................................................... 30
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Games ................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Environmental ............................................................................................................................................... 30 Canine Enrichment in a Shelter Environment .............................................................................................. 31 Fading the Food Lure ...................................................................................................................................... 33 Teaching Simple Tricks ................................................................................................................................... 34 Shakes/High Five/Wave................................................................................................................................ 34 Spin ....................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Log Sheet .............................................................................................................................................................. 35 Recommended Reading and Viewing List ......................................................................................................... 36 Books .................................................................................................................................................................... 36 General Training: .......................................................................................................................................... 36 For Puppies: .................................................................................................................................................. 36 For Fearful or Reactive Dogs:....................................................................................................................... 36 For Separation Anxiety: ................................................................................................................................ 36 For Multiple Dog/Pet Households: ............................................................................................................... 36 Dog Behavior/Dog Appreciation .................................................................................................................. 36 Dogs and Children ........................................................................................................................................ 37 DVDs ................................................................................................................................................................. 37 Periodicals........................................................................................................................................................ 37 Your New Dog Has C.L.A.S.S.! .......................................................................................................................... 38 Flashcards for Volunteers ................................................................................................................................... 39
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What is C.L.A.S.S.?
C.L.A.S.S., or Canine Life and Social Skills, is an educational program to promote training focused on the use of positive reinforcement and to strengthen relationships between humans and their canine companions. The C.L.A.S.S. program includes a three-level evaluation for dog owners to demonstrate the real-life skills of their dogs, as well as a knowledge assessment of the owners understanding of basic dog handling and care. Information is available on the C.L.A.S.S. web site for dog owners to learn more about training and understanding their dogs, including video tutorials and handouts for download. Developed in 2010 by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers based on input from dog owners and non-dog owners, shelter workers, and professional dog trainers, C.L.A.S.S. is just one of many programs offered by the APDT to promote caring relationships between dogs and their owners through using reward-based training methods. C.L.A.S.S. is of particular benefit to shelters and can be used to help make dogs more adoptable by marketing them more effectively to potential homes, and by providing them with mental and physical enrichment to reduce kennel stress and behavioral problems. C.L.A.S.S. can also provide a framework for a volunteer program for your shelter, whether you are brand new to starting a volunteer training program or you have one in place that needs updating. Finally the C.L.A.S.S. web site will feature dogs for adoption that have passed at least one level of the C.L.A.S.S. assessment, thereby giving your dogs more visibility to potential adopters looking to bring home a new canine friend.
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Syllabus Options
The C.L.A.S.S. Shelter Program consist a syllabus, lesson plans and flash cards for volunteers and staff, as well as supplemental material to assist with the program training and marketing of dogs to adopters. There are several syllabi of varying lengths that you can use depending on what works best for your shelter staff and volunteers. At a minimum, we suggest using the One Week Course Syllabus as a training program for all of your volunteers and staff.
Lesson Plans
In addition to the syllabi options, there are lesson plans that are designed as 15 to 30 minute modules for volunteers and staff to use as guides when working with the dogs. A lesson plan is designed to be used repeatedly with a dog until the dog has mastered the behaviors outlined in the plan. As a dog progresses through the plan, volunteers can go back and work on previous lesson plans with the dog by adding in more distance, distractions, or duration to increase the level of difficulty.
Flashcards
To assist volunteers and staff with remembering the steps necessary for training each behavior, we have provided flash cards that volunteers can print out and take with them when working with the dogs.
Supplemental Material
Once a volunteer has completed the training class, we recommend having them use log sheets to track the progress of each dog that they work with. This will allow other volunteers and staff to know how the dog is doing. We have created a few variations for you to use or to give you ideas to create your own. In addition to log sheets, we have included handouts with additional training information to use during your classes and/or to give to volunteers and staff. A recommended reading list is also included, and handouts to place in your adoption packets that explain the C.L.A.S.S. program to adopters. Finally, weve included a list of recommended resources. Check back with the C.L.A.S.S. web site often for updates!
1. Introductions
a. Introduce key staff and volunteers b. Have students in the class introduce each other and you may want to ask them about their experience with training dogs
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4. General Tips
a. Remind volunteers that they should always work with those dogs they feel most comfortable with. b. Add in other basic safety rules as pertains to your specific shelter. 5. What is the C.L.A.S.S. Assessment? a. C.L.A.S.S. is a three-level assessment program designed to teach and evaluate dogs on real-life skills required to live successfully in a home. b. The three levels are the B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. The shelter program will primarily focus on the B.A. level, although a dog that is progressing well can move to the next levels if a volunteer or volunteers wants to work with him or her further. c. Once a dog passes the B.A. level of C.L.A.S.S., they can be listed for adoption on the C.L.A.S.S. web site (www.mydoghasclass.com) sponsored by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. d. The skills in the B.A. level of C.L.A.S.S. are: i. Waiting at the door ii. Come and leashing up manners iii. Loose leash walking and attention iv. Meeting and greeting strangers v. Leave it vi. Waiting for the food bowl vii. Settle viii. Give and take
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First week:
1. Introductions
a. Introduce key staff and volunteers b. Have students in the class introduce each other and you may want to ask them about their experience with training dogs
4. General Tips
a. Remind volunteers that they should always work with those dogs they feel most comfortable with. b. Add in other basic safety rules as pertains to your specific shelter.
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Second week:
1. How We Train Dogs
A Program by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (3/2011) Page 11
2. Lesson Plan #1
a. The first step in the process is to teach the dog how to get the consequence they desire (contact with you by entering the kennel) by exhibiting calm behavior. i. Remember to be very patient! Some dogs may take some time before they calm down. This is ok!!! ii. Use body language turn your head away from kennel run, dont look at the more energetic dogs. iii. For shyer dogs, squat down and turn your head away. iv. Sit in run with dog and spend time with them massage, handling, work on reinforcing calm behaviors. b. Have everyone stand outside a kennel and practice waiting for calm behavior before letting out a dog c. Demonstrate how to teach attention/watch me behavior and have group practice with their dogs.
Third week:
1. Lesson Plan #2
a. Demonstrate how to teach the sit behavior and have group practice b. Demonstrate how to teach the down behavior and have group practice c. If you are using lures to train, discuss how and when to fade them out as soon as possible (use Fading the Lure handout in Supplemental Materials section)
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Fourth week:
1. Lesson Plan #3
a. b. c. d. e. f. g. Discuss why dogs pull on leash. Discuss equipment options: flat collar, martingale collar, harness (regular and front clip), head halter Discuss On and Off Game and demonstrate Discuss Name Game and demonstrate Discuss how to teach loose leash walking different methods Demonstrate training loose leash walking Have group practice with their dogs
Fifth week:
1. Lesson Plan #4
a. b. c. d. Discuss and demonstrate how to teach leave it Have group practice with their dogs Discuss and demonstrate how to teach stay Have group practice with their dogs
Sixth week:
1. Lesson Plan #5
a. b. c. d. Discuss and demonstrate how to teach waiting at doors and for the food bowl Have group practice with their dogs Discuss and demonstrate how to teach the recall command Have group practice with their dogs
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan #1
The first step in working with a shelter dog is teaching him that calm behavior is rewarded by time outside the kennel. Dogs that jump at the cage door, jump on you, bark excessively, and generally act inappropriately should not have this behavior reinforced by being allowed to leave the kennel run. The key word to remember when first starting out with a dog is patience. Every dog learns at their own pace and in the beginning it may take a dog time to learn what it is you want from him. Just remember to be relaxed and calm and give each dog time to learn. Stand by the kennel door and wait for the dog to calm down. The dog does not have to be sitting they can be standing, sitting, lying down, or even walking around, but doing so at a calm, leisurely pace, and not bouncing hysterically around the cage. You can try asking the dog to sit using a food lure motion but this may not work if the dog does not really know the sit command.
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Once you open the door, its likely the dog will start acting hyper again. Turn your back on the dog if he jumps on you and immediately exit the kennel and shut the door. Wait 30 seconds, with your back/head turned away from the dog, and then turn around and try again. This can get quite frustrating depending on the dog, so again, remember to be patient! Each time you leave the dog when the dog behaves inappropriately, he is learning that his actions are producing an undesirable result. If you try repeatedly with a dog for 5-10 minutes and cannot get in the kennel without the dog jumping on you, try working with another dog and come back to the first dog later. If you enter the run and the dog is behaving excitedly, but hasnt jumped on you, you can try keeping your back to the dog and waiting for the dog to calm down, or again, you can try asking for a sit. Once the dog has calmed down, you can turn around and give the dog your full attention smile gently at the dog and warmly, but not excitedly, and praise the dog. Massaging their back and shoulders gently is a good form of reinforcement that is also calming to the dog. Slip the collar and leash around the dogs neck and then proceed to exit the kennel. When dogs first exit their kennel they tend to have a lot of pent-up energy, so spend the first 10 minutes exercising the dog by taking them in the yard or for a walk, or for play in the training room. After the dog has been exercised, now you are ready to begin teaching the attention behavior. Take the dog to a quiet, low distraction area, either inside or outside, and work on the behavior for about 5-10 minutes. The length of time will depend on the energy level of the dog. After the training session, work on activities that reinforce calm behavior with the dog. Sit with them quietly and groom them or massage them. Take them someplace quiet and simply hang out with them and be relaxed. Dogs in a kennel environment are overstimulated, so they lose the ability to simply relax, which is what most dogs in a home environment do (think how much your own dogs sleep and nap all day!). Another option is to take them back into their kennel run, and either sit on the floor, or bring in a chair, and do nothing. Read a book or a magazine, lay back and relax, and pretend you are living in a home with your dog and are having a quiet moment. Repeat this same process with the dog for several sessions. Once you have worked with the dog on attention several times in quiet areas, try working on the attention behavior in more distracting areas, such as in the front office of the shelter, or outside, or anywhere you are allowed to take the dog where there will be noises, sights, smells and movement to distract him.
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Lesson Plan #2
The key goals of working with dogs in the Lesson #2 plan are teaching them sit and down, and to sit before exiting the kennel. During this series of sessions, you should use the following steps: Task Training dog to exit kennel appropriately Exercise/play Working on Sit or Down Quiet Time
Time Depends on individual dog 10 minutes (approx.) 10-15 minutes (approx.) 10 minutes (approx.)
If the dog does not know sit, enter the kennel as in Lesson Plan #1, and once you are in the kennel, work on teaching the dog to sit in the kennel. Once you have gotten a sit, put on the dogs leash/collar and exit the
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Down
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Lesson Plan #3
The key goals of working with a dog using Lesson Plan #3 are teaching them to walk nicely on a leash. You will also be continuing to reinforce the previously taught commands: attention, sit, down, and general calm behavior. Your Lesson Plan #3 sessions should go as follows: Task Training dog to exit kennel appropriately Sit and Down play exercise Loose Leash Walking Quiet Time
Time Depends on individual dog 5 minutes (approx.) 10-20 minutes (approx.) 10 minutes (approx.)
This plans steps are slightly different from the previous lesson plans in that you will not be walking the dog prior to training, as you will be combining the two. An excellent way to exercise a dog, both physically and mentally, without walking, is what is called the On and Off Game. Take your dog, once you have exited the kennel properly, and find a quiet area to work. You will need to have with you a toy for this game, preferably something that can be tugged (the training area will have toys for this purpose). Play with the dog jump around, make happy noises, and get animated so that the dog finds you very interesting and fun. Keep your movements and noises easy at first and gradually work up to more movement and animation. You will wave the toy around while you do this, and even let the dog tug if the dog enjoys that. In the height of the excitement, immediately stop, stand still, put the toy behind your back, and ask the dog to sit or down. The
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Simple Loose Leash Walking: Clicker/Marker Method with Walking Backwards (submitted by Gail
Fisher) There are several steps to this process: 1. Define the behavior: LLW means that the dog walks within a two to three-foot radius of your side or slightly behind, but not in front so that the dog is not aware of you. This is not an attention behavior, so the dog may sniff and look around. He doesnt need to focus on you, but he needs to know where you are and to be connected to you. 2. Establish communication: Give the dog an alert sound (AS) such as a kissing noise to let the dog know you are about to change direction. To teach the significance of the AS, make it, and when the dog alerts, click or say Yes! to mark it, then reward. Repeat this several times, and then get moving. 3. Make the connection: To give the dog the idea that he or she is walking with you, start out walking backward with the dog facing you. Mark and reward at a high rate of reinforcement (ROR), and when you change direction, make the AS before turning, and mark/reward the first step after the turn. Spend a minute or two walking backwards. The goal should be for the dog to move easily with you, but the dog does not have
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You can teach this alone, or with a partner. For the one person method, walk forward in a straight line. Immediately begin walking backwards when the dog pulls forward and the leash goes taut. When the dog turns around and looks or moves back toward you, say Yes! or click and reward the dog by moving forward immediately. Repeat this process: every time a dog surges forward and pulls, move backwards until the dog has to come back to you. The reward for moving with you in this situation is getting to move forward. For the two person version, have the second person act as the lure. Have them go out about 15 to 20 feet away from the dog, squat down, and wave an especially good treat or a desired toy and call the dog excitedly (Make sure they do not use the recall command (come or here) or the dogs name because you do not want the dog to become frustrated at not being able to come to the owner when you called). Walk forward with the dog. As soon as the dog starts to pull forward with a taut leash, walk backwards until you reach the starting line so that the dog has lost all the ground that he gained. (i.e. penalty yards!) Wait for the dog to calm down and make eye contact or show general attention toward you, and then move forward again. Again, every time the dog lunges forward, calmly walk backwards to the starting point. When you can get to the point where you can walk three or four paces with the dog without the dog lunging, say Yes! or click and give him a treat. If you can reach the finish line, give the dog an especially good jackpot treat and give him lots of praise and petting.
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Off-Leash Practice
Practice rewarding the dog for staying close to you, even without a leash. Do this only in a secure area, such as a play yard or a training room. Keep a handful of treats in your hand and show them to the dog. Then walk away from the dog, while keeping your hand full of treats near your thigh. Your dog should follow you and keep his head near your hand. Make changes of directions and circles, and give your dog a treat for each time he changes direction with you and follows, with his head and body close to yours. Make sure you talk to your dog happily when he stays in close to you to give him lots of positive feedback.
Verbal Commands
For all of the methods listed above, you can add in a command such as Heel! or Close! once the dog is doing well with staying in close to you. Remember to use the word when the dog is in close. Dont use it in the beginning when the dog is 6 feet away from you and pulling on leash. You want the dog to associate the word with the action he is doing at the time.
Adding in distractions
Once your dog is reliably not pulling in a low distraction area, its time to add in distractions. Remember that going on a walk for a dog is a very exciting thing. There are so many things to see and sniff that dogs can act like theyve forgotten everything theyve learned. This is perfectly normal. Remember, be patient and consistent, and reward heavily for good behavior! Start with baby steps by going on walks in familiar areas, and once your dog is doing well, try walking in areas where there are lots of distractions.
Lesson Plan #4
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Time Depends on individual dog 5 minutes (approx.) 10 minutes (approx.) 5 minutes (approx.) 5 minutes (approx.) 10 minutes (approx.)
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8. Once you can get your dog to Leave It with food treats, alternate the prize with a favorite toy, or another object that your dog likes to pick up in his mouth. You can also use the command when he places his mouth on you as well.
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Lesson Plan #5
The key goals of working with a dog using this lesson plan are to work on self-control behaviors, such as waiting at doors and for the food bowl. You will also teach the recall (come) behavior. Remember, you will also use this lesson plan to reinforce the behaviors the dog has already learned in the previous sessions. Lesson Plan #5 sessions should go as follows: Task Training dog to exit kennel appropriately Sit and Down play exercise Loose Leash Walking Leave It Stay Waiting at doors and waiting for food Recalls Quiet Time
Time Depends on individual dog 5 minutes (approx.) 1 minutes (approx.) 5 minutes (approx.) 5 minutes (approx.) 5 minutes (approx.) 5-10 minutes (approx.) 10 minutes (approx.)
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Recall Games
Hide and Seek Have a family member or friend hold the dog while you find a place to hide nearby, and make sure you have treats or a favorite toy with you. When the dog is released, call out your reliable recall word excitedly and praise your dog wildly when he finds you. As your dog starts to catch on to the game, you can find harder places to hide. Round Robin Recalls Have one person call the dog over by calling his name and then saying the reliable recall word. When the dog gets to them, they should praise him happily and give him a treat. This person should then become boring and the next person starts up by calling the dog, and so on and so on. Restrained Recalls Have someone hold the dog with the leash while you call the dogs name and run away from him. Run about 10 feet away, then drop to the ground and open your arms and call the dog with your recall command. The handler should then release the hold on the long-line. Reward your dog exuberantly for 30 seconds when he comes to you. You can also have your handler distract the dog with a food treat and try calling him despite the food distraction. Toy Chase Recalls Tease the dog with a favorite toy while another person restrains the dog with the leash. Run away while calling the dog to come to you using your reliable command. The handler should then let go of the leash, or long-line, and when the dog comes to you reward him by playing with the toy for 30 seconds.
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Supplemental Information
Using Food in Training
1. Rewards Lead to Increased Behavior
Whether you are working with animals or people, its a well-known fact that a behavior that gets rewarded is likely to be repeated. Trainers use food in training animals because its a relatively easy reward that is likely to be desired by a majority of animals. Even the pickiest dog has some sort of food treat that they like, or you can use their regular kibble. If you cant find a food treat or kibble that the dog will work for, review the Non Food Rewards handout for more ideas.
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4. The food must be rewarding to the dog. Dont use food the dog doesnt like, or that isnt special to the dog when working in a high distraction area. If the dog has problems with diarrhea, you can use some of the dogs kibble as a treat. 5. Occasionally work in jackpots. These are extra special treats, or a larger portion of a treat, combined with exuberant praise, that the dog rarely gets. Jackpots should be used intermittently when the dog does something really great, like sitting in a crowd of children and adults and dogs and cats. 6. Fine Dining is another concept you can use to give the dog an extra special reward when they have done something great, or if you are working on maintaining a great deal of attention. The regular way most people dole out treats is kind of like fast food: the dog gets a piece of kibble or a treat, a weak pat on head and lukewarm verbal praise. Fine dining means creating a rewarding experience that is highly rewarding to the dog. Break some really delicious, moist, pungent treats up into tiny bits and hand feed them to the dog, while praising the dog exuberantly and constantly while feeding them.
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Non-Food Rewards
Heres some ideas on things you can use to reward the dog that do not involve food:
Toys
Tennis balls (make sure you get them from a pet store-regular tennis balls have a chemical on them that is bad for a dogs teeth) Kongs Nylon Squeaky Tug Toys Stuffed Squeaky Toys Ball on a Rope Toys Rope Toys Frisbees Braided Toys Stuffed animals Gumabones and Nylabones Leashes Old sock with a ball inside Rabbit skins Jolly Balls Buster Cubes, Treat Balls, and Havaballs
Games
Chase/Catch Me Fetch/Retrieve Hide N Seek Recall games Name game Jumping over obstacles or going through obstacles (agility) Tricks On and Off (Tug of War) Leave It
Environmental
Belly rubs Behind-the-ear scratches Rolling on the grass or carpet Playing with other dogs Playing with you Massage and handling and petting Playing games Going on car rides Going to the park to run Sniffing and investigating smells on a walk Chasing mice, rats, squirrels, other animals (dont allow them to catch them though!) Splashing in a kiddie pool Going on a walk or jog or run
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Ask for toys to be donated so that each dog has lots of toys in their kennel that are cleaned with the regular laundry or disposed of when they become damaged. If no toys, try tied socks or t-shirts. They make great toys. You can also Soak a rope toy with soup stock and let dry. Other items that may entertain dogs include ice cubes, hard rubber balls, or plastic soda bottles with kibbles inside.
o Food puzzles You can make food puzzles with short segments of PVC pipe and caps on the end, then drilling holes in pipe. One of the ends of the pipe unscrews so that it can be filled with food. The dog has to roll the pipe around to get the food out of the holes. The Kong is another food puzzle and toy. It is a hollow rubber toy that can be filled with food. The dog has to figure out how to get the food out. This way the dogs get mental exercise, which is just as important as physical activity for dogs. You can stuff Kongs with the dogs daily meal, add a little water, and freeze them to make the fun last longer. If staff objects to cleaning them, stuff with dry kibble. You can also toss kibble on the floor for the dog to vacuum up one piece at a time You might also consider putting some peanut butter on the walls of a crate or the kennel. Other food puzzles include Buster Cubes, Kibble Nibble, Stuffed Kongs (frozen for additional challenge), Tug-a-Jug, and Nina Ottoson toys
o Activities
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While dogs are in their kennels, use interactive games such as catching treats in the air, t-touch, and find-it games.
Reward with treats for any behavior you like (e.g. sit, down, stop bouncing, stop barking, looking at or approaching you in friendly manner, looking or acting cute). All these behaviors help the dog exercise his brain and present well to the public. Plus, this often doesn't take any extra time if you have treats outside the runs that you can just toss in the kennel as youre passing by. Even if a dog has not been taught to sit on cue, for example, if you toss a treat in when the dog is sitting, the dog figures out on his own that behavior works. To maintain dogs people skills, dogs in shelters should interact with 5 different people each day. To encourage a calm environment, use soothing music such as a variety of classical music, calming music made just for dogs (http://www.throughadogsear.com/), and/or dog laughter recordings (http://www.petalk.org/LaughingDog.html). Along with the music, try to have a "lights out" rest period for the dogs prior to opening to the public, to help promote calmness in the kennels. To give dogs a break from their runmates or the noise of the kennel, consider giving them daily or weekly quiet time in a crate in a quiet room. In the crate they could have a stuffed Kong or other special chew. Ive found that the dogs love having time in the crate and they get crate trained in the process. They also get time to rest away from the other dogs. Everyone needs alone time at some point! Consider using barriers made of plastic for some dogs that are stressed by other dogs being in their vicinity so they don't have constant confrontations with dogs walking past their kennel. A direct line of site or sharing a common fence line can create stress and frustration, and visual barriers may reduce some of this stress. If possible, offer a sleepover program, which allows volunteers and staff to take a dog for the evening. If possible, consider allowing staff and volunteers to take a dog on an outing for a few hours during the day, such as a drive to town, trip to Petsmart, hanging out at the outdoor coffee shop, hike, etc. For kennel stress, lavender oil on small sheet strips, DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromones), or Bachs Rescue Remedy may help.
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4. 5. 6. 7.
Spin
1. 2. Start with your dog standing facing you. Hold some treats right above his nose and lure her around in a wide circle. Some dogs will automatically follow the treat, and others you will have to keep the treat jammed right up into their nose to get them to follow it. Most dogs have one direction they are more comfortable spinning in, so you will have to experiment to see which one works best for your dog. When the dog has followed the treat and successfully spun in one circle, give him a treat and repeat. When the dog is following the treat consistently, start making your circles smaller while slowly bringing your hand up higher above the dogs. You want to keep practicing this until you do not have to lean over and can make a small hand signal (a circling finger). You can also pair the word Spin! or Twirl! when the dog is performing the spin.
3. 4. 5.
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Log Sheet
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For Puppies:
Before you Get Your Puppy and After you Get Your Puppy Ian Dunbar The Puppy Whisperer Paul Owens and Terence Cranendonk Your Outta Control Puppy Teoti Anderson Puppy's First Steps - A Whole Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy by Nicholas Dodman Lawrence Linder/Tufts University The Whole Dog Journal Handbook of Dog and Puppy Care and Training Nancy Kerns
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DVDs
Paw-Sitive Dog Training - Allan Bauman Perfect Paws In 5 Days Featuring Jean Donaldson's Modern Training Methods - Jean Donaldson Dog Training for Children - Ian Dunbar Sirius Puppy Training - Ian Dunbar Training the Companion Dog Vol. 1, Socialization & Training - Ian Dunbar Training the Companion Dog Vol. 2: Behavior Problems - Ian Dunbar Training the Companion Dog Vol. 3, Walking & Heeling - Ian Dunbar Training the Companion Dog Vol. 4, Recalls and Stays - Ian Dunbar Lassie, Come! - Patricia McConnell Really Reliable Recall: Train Your Dog to Come When Called ... No Matter What! - Leslie Nelson It's Pawsible! Dog Training - Beth Ostrowski-Parks The Dog Whisperer - Beginning & Intermediate Dog Training - Paul Owens The Dog Whisperer Problem Solving Volume 2 - Paul Owens Train Your Dog - Nicole Wilde and Laura Bourhenne
You can order all of these books and DVDs through Dogwise at www.dogwise.com, 1-800-776-2665
Periodicals
The Whole Dog Journal, www.whole-dog-journal.com The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, www.apdt.com The Bark, www.thebark.com
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C.L.A.S.S., or Canine Life and Social Skills, is an educational program to promote training focused on the use of positive reinforcement and to strengthen relationships between humans and their canine companions. C.L.A.S.S. is a three-level evaluation for dog owners to demonstrate the real-life skills of their dogs, as well as a knowledge assessment of the owners understanding of basic dog handling and care. Developed by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com) based on input from both dog owners and non-dog owners, shelter workers, and professional dog trainers, C.L.A.S.S. benefits pet owners, dogs, and everyone in the community! The three levels of the program are named after human university degree programs: the B.A. (Bachelors level), the M.A. (Masters level), and the Ph.D. (Doctorate level). The skills in each level vary in the level of difficulty and distractions. For example, at the B.A. level, we allow the use of treats as rewards after the completion of an exercise, and some of the real life skills that are assessed are waiting at the door, drop it, and settle. In the M.A. level, dogs are asked to walk past several dogs of different sizes, breeds and genders, to wait in the car before exiting, and to allow the owner to handle various parts of their body. And in the Ph.D. level, owners must carry everyday objects such as a cardboard box or paper sack while walking their dogs on a loose leash, ask their dogs to back up, and have their dog demonstrate table manners during a simulated dinner session. Each level also allows for two bonus rounds that owners may elect to try or not with their dog. Shelter dogs trained and assessed through the C.L.A.S.S. program enter their new homes with a foundation of real-life skills that can be put to use right away in helping them to adjust to life outside the shelter. You can learn more about the C.L.A.S.S. program at the web site, www.mydoghasclass.com. We strongly encourage new owners with a dog who has achieved any level of C.L.A.S.S. to continue working with your dog on training. You can find a C.L.A.S.S. training instructor near you by visiting the C.L.A.S.S. web site, or the site of the APDT at www.apdt.com. Training tips, ideas and videos are available for you at the C.L.A.S.S. site and also at the APDTs event site, www.trainyourdogmonth.com. You can also subscribe to the C.L.A.S.S. graduates e-mail newsletter at www.mydoghasclass.com and visit the APDTs Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheAssociationofPetDogTrainers.US. Our goal at the APDT is to ensure that owners, both new and experienced, receive all the information they need to continue working successfully with their dogs. This leads to happy dogs, happy owners, and less dogs turned in to shelters.
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Exercise # 2 Come and Leash Up Real-life Coming when called could save your dogs life if he gets loose. Training a dog to Relevance want to come to you also helps strengthen the bond between dog and owner. 1. Only work on leash to teach this exercise. Start with a six foot leash, increasing the length in small increments. Always start this exercise working close then add distance. 2. Let the dog sniff, wander, or play a bit, then get his attention by calling his name, the moment he looks at you, take a few steps back, clapping your leg and make it a fun game for the dog to come towards you. You can hold a treat and lure him to you if necessary, the moment he takes a step towards you, click and praise, take a few more steps back quickly to encourage him to come to you, when he reaches you click, praise and treat. 3. Once the dog will come to you 5 out of 5 times, increase the distance. Continue the same pattern until you can do this off leash with reliability. It is not necessary for the dog to sit, but if you wish, once the dog has a solid recall, you can teach him to sit. 4. Another method is to teach the dog to sit each time he comes to you. When the dog returns to you, use the hand signal for sit, when he sits, click/treat/praise immediately. Exercise # 3 Loose Leash Walking and Watch Me Real-life Teaching and practicing loose leash walking and checking in with one another builds Relevance comfort, ease, and connectedness between the dog and owner. It is best to teach watch me before leash walking, however, in the case of a shelter dog, there may not be time to do this separately so both can be taught simultaneously. Holding a treat or toy near your forehead, ask the dog to watch me or focus (the word really does not matter) as long as the dog looks at you. The desired result is to have the dog realize that when he looks at you something good is going to happen and he can always focus on you for good things. Practice this standing, sitting and walking at different speeds. It can be taught without words, as the action of his eyes meeting yours and the immediate reward will let him know that is what you want him to do. 1. Place leash on dog. Walk at a normal to brisk pace. Each time the dog forges ahead, stop and clap your leg indicating he should come to your side, when he returns to your side, click/treat/praise. Repeat until he begins to walk closer and closer to your side. Never let the dog get more than 1.5 feet in front of you. 2. Frequently make quick turns either to the left or right while clapping your leg indicating to the dog to follow your lead. Each time the dog follows you quickly either left or right as you turn, click/treat/praise. Mix in an about turn and change speeds also to keep him guessing. This becomes a game and eventually the dog will keep looking to see where you are and which way you are going. 3. This exercise is best done without words. Your body speaks louder than words. It is best to train to have the dog on your left side. A dog that weaves from side to side can cause the owner to trip. Once the dog knows proper positioning of his body, you can let him relax a bit as long as the leash remains loose.
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Exercise #4 Meet and Greet The importance of a dog remaining politely at the owner's side shows the dog's selfReal-life control when meeting someone. This also allows the opportunity for the owner to Relevance understand if it is appropriate or not for someone to greet or handle their dog. 1. Whenever you stop walking the dog should stop and sit or stand quietly by your side. The dog should not jump on, bark at, or otherwise approach a person unless invited. 2. While a visitor approaches you ask your dog to watch you, and sit. Click/treat/praise when you receive this behavior. 3. Greet and shake the persons hand but do not let the dog approach. Ask them if they like dogs and if they would like to meet your dog. 4. If they ask to pet your dog, allow them to do so, but explain that the dog must be sitting in order to do so. Instruct the person to let the dog sniff their closed hand first before petting the dog, then pet on the neck or side. Exercise #5 Leave It Real-life Leave it is useful when you do not want your dog to go near something, and can be Relevance a life-saving skill. 1. This exercise is very useful in your shelter when dogs are out for walks. 2. One way to teach this is to show the dog you have a treat in your hand but immediately close your fist, not allowing the dog to have it. Keep your hand closed while the dog is mugging your fist. When the dog stops, even if for a split second, tell him good and reward him with a treat from the other hand. Continue building this until he will automatically back away when he sees your hand close. Add the cue leave it as he is backing away. 3. When using leave it on walks, give the dog plenty of space between him and the object to leave so he can practice this new behavior. Exercise #6 Wait for Food Real-life Rather than grabbing or rushing for the food, waiting for the food bowl is good Relevance manners and strengthens a dogs self-control. 1. This is a perfect exercise to practice at meal-time. All dogs need to eat, so they can learn to wait for their dinner while under your care. 2. When feeding, if the dog jumps on you while you are entering the kennel, just turn your back and raise the food bowl over your head. Once the dog stops jumping, turn back around and start to lower the food bowl again. This may need to be repeated a few times on the first feeding, but the dog will soon learn than jumping on you makes the food go away. 3. Wait for the dog to sit, and begin lowering the food bowl again. Anytime the dog gets up, raise the food bowl back up. It wont be long before the dog figures out he must sit to be fed. This may take a few extra minutes the first few times you feed, but will save lots of mugging with future feedings. And the adoptive home will appreciate this good behavior.
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Exercise #7 Stay
Real-life Stay is useful when you need your dog to remain in place. Relevance
1. Stay comes in very handy around the shelter. Whether during bathing and you need to get a towel, or on a walk and you need to pick up poop, stay can save you from a dog sloshing you with water or pulling you off your feet. 2. Although you may not have the time to teach the stay to the duration of the test, a nice 1530 second stay is fairly easy to teach in a short amount of time. This can be done right in the dogs kennel. 3. Ask the dog to sit. Once sitting, praise the dog and give them a treat and allow them to get up. Slowly increase the length of time between the actual sit and the praise. You will be surprised how quickly the dog will learn to stay put. Exercise #8 Settle Real-life A dog who can calm down on cue is more manageable in the home and may be Relevance more welcome in other social settings. 1. This is probably the easiest exercise to reward with little effort on your part. Any time you walk by a kennel where the dog is relaxing, praise him and throw a treat as close to him as possible, so he doesnt have to get up to eat it. 2. After several repetitions of this, the dog will learn that just relaxing in the kennel is very rewarding. 3. This can also be trained during exercise period. After the dog is tired, ask him to lie down. While he is resting, praise him and treat him for being calm. Exercise #9 Give and Take Real-life Living with a dog who does not guard food or objects is safer for the owner and less Relevance stressful for the dog. 1. If your shelter provides enrichment toys in the kennels, that is a great opportunity to teach this behavior. When entering the kennel, if the dog has a toy in his mouth, offer him something even better if he allows you to take the original object. 2. During exercise time, you can also work on this behavior. Provide a low value object for the dog. If he takes it and after a few moments of allowing him to play with it, offer another higher value object that he will drop the original object to get. Remember to praise when he drops the original object. 3. One caveat to this is if the dog shows teeth or growls during this exercise, do not continue and consult your behavior counselor.
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