Viewing: Trainer Reflection - View all posts

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

As the year ends, dog trainers and other animal-related professionals look back on the year to try to predict the year to come. Some of my observations project a change in human behaviour. Covid dogs will turn four years old in 2024, and the longevity of many dogs is bleak.

The main reason some pets are re-homed or euthanized is directly proportional to their lack of socialization. There is a reason the puppy phase is called the critical period of social development. This socialization period teaches dogs what to expect later in life; it normalizes stimuli. 

I personally thought that people knew how vital it was to expose dogs to their future environment between the ages of four and twelve weeks; unfortunately, I was wrong. The technological era has set access to information back many decades. There is too much contradiction on the internet to make sense of conflicting facts and data.

Add to the confusion, poor breeding and financial gain, and the dog world explodes into what we are currently experiencing: aggression and fear. Bites more than doubled since early 2019. You might think pit bulls inflicted these bites and death, but you would be seriously wrong. Mixed breeds, specifically doodles, are the most popular dogs acquired during the pandemic; thus, statistically, they outrank bully breeds. The numbers are similar in the US and UK. 

Another factor in increased dog bites was how people selected their dogs; their purchases reflected human impulse buying behaviours. Many buyers did not visit the breeder, dogs, or puppies before they brought their dog home. Furthermore, most doodle owners are first-time pet caregivers. Mixing two hunting breeds together and expecting a calm and relaxed animal is simply unrealistic in a mass-market world.

Dog Bites
Bites are still on the rise, and doodles represent large numbers of incidences. 60% of Canadians became dog owners during the pandemic, and 15% plan to buy a dog in the upcoming year (2024). Unless people realize that Google is not an adequate source for dog training information, the number of bites will continue to rise. 

Doodles are flooding shelters and rescues for a reason: they bite. Lack of socialization, poor genes, and lack of training is the recipe for aggression. You are likely to comment that your doodle does not behave aggressively, but statistics prove otherwise. Look at your local dog walkers; seven out of ten dogs are doodles. 

Food for Thought
In the last fifty years or so, the top three dog breeds sold across the world have been the Labrador, Golden Retriever, and German Shepherd. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, in the UK, is the only bully breed to make the top ten; consequently, pit bulls* cannot be the number one bitter. 

The number one reason pit bulls show up in statistics is because mainstream media solely reports on this breed. The website Dogbites is another biased source managed by a person victim of a pit bull dog bite. I rarely see bully owners for aggression, but I see doodles come in weekly. 

Choosing a Dog
Contrary to popular belief, there are thousands of dog breeds. Rare breeds are generally healthier. You will avoid dog bites and other unpleasant behaviours with proper selection, socialization, and training. You do not want a dog that bites or fears everything new; it is simply not a healthy situation. I urge you to do your homework and find a science-based dog trainer before you start your dog owner journey. 

I have added the Breed Breed Questionnaire I use with my clients. You can scroll down and download it for your needs. The document does not offer a specific breed because I sit with clients to help them figure it out. After all, it is my job to know the various categories of dog breeds that best suit your lifestyle and personality. 

Cheers.
G.

Source:

- Burnett, E., Brand, C.L., O’Neill, D.G. et al. How much is that doodle in the window? Exploring motivations and behaviours of UK owners acquiring designer crossbreed dogs (2019-2020). Canine Med Genet 9, 8 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-022-00120-x

- CDC-QuickStats: Number of Deaths Resulting from Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog, by Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:999. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7236a6

- Chang, J. (2023). Number of Dogs in the US 2022/2023: Statistics, Demographics, and Trends. Retrieved from https://financesonline.com/number-of-dogs-in-the-us/

- Perrin T. The Business Of Urban Animals Survey: the facts and statistics on companion animals in Canada. Can Vet J. 2009 Jan;50(1):48-52. PMID: 19337613; PMCID: PMC2603652.

*Used as a general term.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia isn’t a favourable way to solve problems, but I’m not here to talk about the war. Today, I want to discuss the articles I see on social media relating to the dog population in Ukraine. I wrote an article a few years back about free-roaming and feral dog management, and I feel it’s time to revisit the topic. 

New perspective 
North American people and a few other large cities around the world tend to view dogs in a very different light than we do. The WHO-WSPA’s Guidelines for Dog Population Management (1993) classify dogs as restricted, semi-restricted, unrestricted, and feral. 

Restricted: fully dependent, fully restricted, and supervised by a human 

Semi-restricted: fully dependent and semi-restricted 

Unrestricted: semi-dependent and unrestricted 

Feral:  independent and unrestricted 

Most dogs on the planet fall into unrestricted and feral categories. That is because, culturally speaking, people view dogs as, well, dogs. They aren’t fur babies or fur kids; dogs are simply dogs. In Ukraine, the estimated feral dog population varies between 50,000 and 100,000. In Canada, the stray dog[1] population hovers around 20 000 dogs. The Ukrainian human population is 44M, and the Canadian population is 38M. You don’t need to do complex math to see how problematic feral dogs are in Ukraine. With that said, let’s look at management strategies. 

Why rescues fail
Rescues that fly to countries to import unrestricted or feral dogs have a very noble goal: decrease the dog population and save lives. Unfortunately, the opposite occurs. When you remove feral dogs from the population, they open the ecological niche. By removing dogs, the remaining ones will simply reproduce and fill the niche once more. Only this time around, the local dogs will produce even more puppies. 

According to Izaguirre (2011), when a country combines culling and sterilization, a country can effectively reduce the population. Combining sterilization and culling increases the effectiveness of the management strategy, which, in turn,  guarantees the country's overall success. I know this sounds inhumane, but when we look at it from an ecological perspective, it is the most humane way to control dog populations. 

There are currently 471M dogs residing on earth, of which 200M are strays. The unrestricted/feral dog population is estimated to be between 700,000 and 900,000 dogs (WHO, 1990; Statista, 2018; NPR, 2017). It becomes clear that international adoption as a dog population management strategy is ineffective. The international adoption practice represents another major problem: health. A few years ago, Canadian rescues imported dogs from other countries, which passed on diseases to the resident dog population. The increase in imports during the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Canadian government to change its legislation in May 2021 (CFIA, 2021). 

I strongly believe new strategies need to be considered if we are to effectively, safely, and humanly control dog and cat overpopulation. A discussion needs to take place as to why dogs find themselves semi-restricted, unrestricted, or feral. Furthermore, accepting our cultural differences is mandatory to understand the foundation of the problem. Rescuing dogs from the meat market or other living situations isn’t viable. I think it’s very arrogant of one country to tell another nation what they can or cannot eat. Maybe people have no other source of food. In any case, it all starts with education. 

Cheers.
G.

References 
- Bögel, K, Frucht, Karl, Drysdale, George, Remfry, Jenny, World Health Organization. Veterinary Public Health Unit. et al. (‎1990)‎. Guidelines for dog population management. World Health Organization.  

- Bringing animals to Canada: Importing and travelling with pets. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2021). Retrieved 4 March 2022, from https://inspection.canada.ca/importing-food-plants-or-animals/pets/eng/1326600389775/1326600500578 

- Dog and cat pet population worldwide 2018. Statista. (2022). Retrieved 4 March 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044386/dog-and-cat-pet-population-worldwide 

- In Ukraine, technology offers humans solutions to the problem of stray animals. (2021). Retrieved 4 March 2022, from https://emerging-europe.com/after-hours/in-ukraine-technology-offers-humane-solutions-to-the-problem-of-stray-animals 

- Izaguirre, E. R. (2011). WIAS PhD project proposal on ecology and society. 

- NPR Cookie Consent and Choices. (2022). Retrieved 4 March 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2017/12/29/574598877/no-easy-answer-to-growing-number-of-stray-dogs-in-the-u-s-advocate-says 

- Smith, Lauren & Hartmann, & Munteanu, Alexandru & Villa, Dalla & Quinnell, Rupert & Collins, Lisa. (2020). The Effectiveness of Dog Population Management: A Systematic Review. Animals. 9: 1020. doi 10.3390/ani9121020 

[1] Unclassified dog population; consequently, lost dogs fall into this category.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Nearly two years have gone by since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and people are still in a rush to get a dog. Unfortunately, the current situation reveals a much darker side to the pandemic. Almost every dog professional on the planet saw it coming, so let’s look at where we are in the COVID dog saga. 

A lot of people are still on the hunt for a dog and are desperate to find one. They shop online, adopt from shelters, or acquire dogs from overseas. I firmly believe we don’t need dogs from other provinces or other countries. We have plenty of dogs in shelters and rescues, which brings me to my first argument. Shelters and rescues are overflowing with returned COVID dogs. People got dogs thinking it would be a love affair only to realize it’s not. Dogs are time-consuming, especially when they are puppies. Consequently, when dogs transition into adolescence, and their behaviour becomes even more rambunctious, pet owners don’t want to deal with the situation and return the dog. 

Puppies are hard work. 
I constantly hear pet caregivers say I didn’t know a puppy would be so much work. Clients call in dog trainers and soon realize that the cost of a professional is higher than they estimated. Their expectations are also unrealistic. Puppies require time to mature and are physically unable to hold urine or feces until they are approximately 3 to 4 months old, sometimes for even longer. 

Young canines have critical phases of development, and sociability is the most important of them. When a person doesn’t expose their dog to the elements, such as people young and old, dogs, cats, animals in general, and things such as buses, traffic, sounds, and smells, the dog will most likely fear these living and non-living things FOR THE REST OF ITS LIFE. Unsocialized or improperly socialized dogs can also display insecure aggression. My workload has undoubtedly increased during COVID-19, and I only deal with aggression cases. 

Another contributing factor to misbehaving puppies and teens is the lack of sleep. Puppies need to sleep anywhere from ten to eighteen (18) hours a day. You read that right. Because people work from home, puppies don’t get enough sleep, and by 3 p.m., they turn into little monsters biting and barking. Sleep-deprived dogs are grumpy and highly unpleasant to be around. The biggest complaint pet owners have is that they can’t work because the dog keeps barking. They leave the dog out of the crate for this reason; however, a free-roaming puppy doesn’t sleep. Furthermore, puppies chew on anything and everything when they are not supervised. 

A doggone problem is a dog gone 
The easy way out of a problem when it comes to animals is to get rid of it. Releasing an animal into the wild, to a rescue, or a shelter is simple. The first approach doesn’t require any effort whatsoever, whereas the other options mean facing your guilt, and who would want to do that, right?! I know I’m generalizing; however, I see posts for lost dogs so often that one must wonder what’s going on. I believe some of these runaways are simply people’s easy way out. Leave the gate open. Problem solved. 

For those who do face their quilt, rescues or shelters are the options they choose. I see so many dogs between 3 months and 1.5 years, having had 3 to 5 families. They are adopted and soon returned because pet owners realize how much work they have to put in. One client adopted a dog and two days later wanted to go to a dinner party, expecting the dog to be calm and quiet in its crate. Guess what, it wasn’t. The person complained about the situation, and all I could say was, what did you expect? 

I wish I could get a few Aibos and lend them to people who think about adopting a dog. The AI behind this fantastic toy can teach people just how demanding a pet can be. Until I can get the funds to buy a few of them, I can only say the following: if you are thinking of bringing a dog home: 

1. Make sure EVERYONE in the family wants a dog 
2. Fill out the breed questionnaire attached to this article and bring it to your future trainer 
3. Pay a trainer to help you find the right breed for you or your family 
4. Please DO NOT get a dog because it’s cute 
5. Do the math to figure out the monthly or annual cost involved with housing a pet 
6. Buy everything you need BEFORE you get the dog 
7. Ask the veterinarian for expenses related to healthcare 
8. You will need between 2 to 5+ hours a day to devote to the dog (feeding, walking, training, grooming, etc.) 
9. Make sure you have the financial resources if an accident happens 
10. Think about what you would do if you didn’t like the dog 

Cheers.
G.

Dog Breed Questionaire - Work with a dog trainer to find out which dog breed is better suited for your lifestyle.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

I haven't written in a while because the Dogue Shop and Dogue Academy have been super busy this year. But, with a drastic increase in dogs worldwide and behaviour issues skyrocketing, I decided it was time to speak up about lures and their negative effect on COVID dogs. 

Why Lures are problematic 
Everybody, it seems, uses lures to train dogs, and it's highly unnecessary to do so. It is counterproductive. Top trainers and behaviour experts worldwide all use lures to teach dogs, so I know I'm swimming against a powerful current, so be it; it won't be the first time. Plus, I know how to swim, so I'm not scared. 

Lures are used to model dogs into desired behaviours; unfortunately, the dog doesn't need to think about what it's doing; it just needs to follow a cookie to get rewarded. Here's the problem: the lure becomes the cue and eventually the prompt to do the behaviour, AND it serves as the reward. Sometimes, the lure also becomes the conditioned stimulus and the reinforcement. If you're confused, imagine your dog. 

When people do not fade lures out as fast as possible, they become crutches. Trainers come to rely on lures to train, distract, and modify behaviour when the lure in question no longer serves as a distraction. Dog trainers then teach their clients how to use lures, and the cycle of behaviour problems starts. 

The ultimate reason why luring is so problematic is because it doesn't teach the animal how to think. There's no room for creative thinking and problem-solving. In lure training, the desired behaviour can't be modified, changed, adapted, or substituted by the animal. 

Avoid Using Lures at All Costs 
Lure training is lazy training. Some professionals say it's a fast way to train animals, but is it? Trainers with excellent shaping skills can train a complex series of behaviours much faster than lure trainers. One ABA student just trained a dog to fetch a beverage from the refrigerator in 20 hours without using a single lure (watch the video to the right). 

With social cognitive learning theory (SCT), animals are encouraged to think, problem-solve, and develop new strategies to make desirable behaviours better. In the beverage behaviour, the dog was initially trained to pull a rope to open the door, but he offered a new solution to use its nose. Seeing the dog preferred his solution, the trainer changed behaviours and moved along much faster in the training process. I always wonder what a lure trainer would do in this scenario. 

Lure training doesn't create a secure attachment, and without a secure attachment, it's almost impossible to train a dog. Let me rephrase that. Dog training that uses shaping is much faster than luring because the dog has learned that we, as a team, can work our way through difficult problems. After all, we have built a relationship based on trust. Plus, a dog trainer who uses shaping and the SCAT model doesn't have to fade lures at each step; thus, he saves training time. 

You might have noticed that lures don't work when dogs are faced with difficult problems. There's no amount of food, play, or petting that will break a reactive dog's focus. Conversely, when dogs are encouraged to offer new solutions, dogs quickly learn they have decision-making power that can work its way through complex situations. 

Social Cognitive Learning Theory and Attachment in Dog Training 
The social cognitive attachment training (SCAT) approach to training explicitly requires dogs to think and problem-solve their way through behaviours because it's the essence of a secure attachment and cognitive development. George, the dog in the video, was taught using the SCAT model, and as an animal-assisted therapy partner, he loves to solve his problems. We can see the joy in his prance when he breaks through a physical or mental barrier. 

The SCAT model states that to build a secure attachment, the dog first learns to solve problems cognitively with the trainer's direct help and, eventually, the owner's. It also describes how people must surrender their beliefs and projections about the animal and concentrate on the cognitive task. In turn, mental stimulation generates trust between the dog and the human. Trust nourishes the attachment and changes it from an insecure to a secure one. This interspecies problem-solving and decision-making connection generates a level of behaviour you never thought possible. 

Covid dogs have not been socialized because of isolation regulation, and with Canadian winters being what they are, an entire generation of dogs is now heading toward winter isolation. Spring 2021 will bring a dog population out of isolation and nearing adulthood; these dogs won't fare well in society. Lures will be of little use, and insecure attachments will yield frustration and anger. 

Dog Lure Training is Lazy Training 
To summarize this article, here's a bullet point on what has been discussed. 

• Lures don't teach dogs how to think or problem-solve 
• Lures are useless in behaviour modification 
• Lures require fading out, thus adding an unnecessary training step 
• Lures do not create or change attachment styles 
• Lures quickly stop working as distractions 
• Lures can be dangerous when dealing with aggression 
• Lures tend to become conditioned stimuli, cues, prompts, and rewards 
• Lures don't build trust between trainer and dog 

Professional trainers with decades of experience who use lures sadden me. There is no reason to use them. Lures are unnecessary, and I wish everybody would stop using them and teach others how to use them. I've been teaching puppy classes in Montreal's busiest park for decades, and we have never used lures. When clients come to us using lures, we stop them immediately. In five weeks, puppies learn to work for people despite lures, not because of them. 

I urge you to stop using lures because COVID-19 dogs won't respond to treats, and you'll be left with devastating consequences. Dogs are exceptional when it comes to creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, so why not encourage them to learn?

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE 

With the import of dogs from around the world, there is a growing concern for people's safety, and that bothers me tremendously. Today, I want to discuss the ins and outs of dog aggression. I am warning you that you might not like what you read, but that does not change the truth or the facts. Emotions almost always get in the way when assessing and working with aggressive dogs; therein lies dangerous situations and unethical practices. Dogs are dying, and people are getting injured or killed. Journalists point to the Staffordshire breeds, all the while omitting northern breeds that kill more people each year. This is unethical and biased reporting.  

Aggression is considered morally unacceptable in dogs, yet people tolerate aggression from other humans. Guy Turcotte admittedly killed both his children, and yet it took two trials to convict him. Montreal by-laws state that a dog that kills a cat will be euthanized, yet a cat that kills birds and other wildlife is free to walk. Why does an aggressive, biased view exist within the animal kingdom? If people feel the need to carry guns for self-defence, why are dogs not allowed to defend themselves with their teeth when threatened?  

Aggression Defined  
We discussed in past articles how fear and anger are opposite emotions; consequently, a dog cannot be fearful and aggressive at the same time. Aggression is the expression of anger, not fear. Expressed aggressive behaviours serve to either kill a threat or make it retreat. When a dog is confident, it will try to kill the threat. When a dog is insecure, it will display behaviours that make the threat go away. A fearful dog will retreat while displaying fearful behaviours. In summary, we have three types of reactions: confident aggressive, insecure aggressive, and insecure fearful. In true ethological description, these three reactions are dominant aggressive, submissive aggressive (active submission), and submissive fearful (passive submission).  

Aggression Categories  
Depending on who you read, there are between thirteen and sixteen aggression categories. I like the thirteen list because it groups a few categories into one; for example, pain aggression includes illness and disease aggression. When I evaluate aggressive dogs, it is important to determine which category they belong to (see list below) because behaviour modification protocols and euthanasia recommendations are dependent on proper assessments. I know; I said the taboo word, euthanasia. I will get back to that later. Some categories are easier to determine and yield a higher success rate than others. Redirected aggression and conflict aggression can be categories; however, redirected aggression is normally the consequence of another aggression category. Most aggressive displays are indirectly based on conflict; hence, I removed conflict-related aggression from this list for simplification purposes.

• Dominance aggression  
• Possessive aggression  
• Sibling rivalry  
• Territorial aggression  
• Inter-male aggression  
• Predatory aggression  
• Play-induced / Excitement aggression  
• Excitement induced aggression  
• Insecure aggression  
• Maternal aggression  
• Learned aggression  
• Irritable aggression  
• Pain-induced / aggression*  

Other categories to consider:  

• Intraguild aggression  
• Human directed aggression  
• Idiopathic aggression  
• Genetic predisposition to high aggression (non-breed specific)  

Idiopathic aggression relates to aggressive displays or attacks toward non-living objects and people for no reason. For example, a dog sees rubber bins and attacks them ferociously. Of this list, intraguild aggression is the least known and discussed. I wrote two articles on the topic called My Dog Killed My Other Dog Part 1 and Part 2. We receive e-mails daily, and the articles, pre and post-hacking, still generate the most attention. Before hackers, we had over one hundred comments and just as many private e-mails. We crunched the numbers, and it turns out one dog kills another dog in the same household every 1.3 days, year-round.  

Aggression Cases  
Once I have identified the category of aggression, a discussion takes place. During the session, clients and I discussed time investment, financial investment, emotional investment, public and private risk assessment, and possible outcomes. Euthanasia is normally discussed in this meeting. I do not recommend euthanasia often, but on the upside, I do know how long and time-consuming the behaviour modification process can take. Pet owners are not animal trainers; consequently, their lives can become consumed by an aggressive dog and the training process. Furthermore, my training has prepared me to remain emotionally neutral when animals display aggression, but that is not the case for clients. Clients are often afraid of their dogs.  

Public and private bite risks need to be considered in aggression cases because the dog and its caregiver become liabilities to the public. I know it can be heartbreaking to learn that the family dog poses a very high risk to the human and non-human populations; therefore, euthanasia is considered a solution. If the dog has a biological issue and medication is not an option because of cost, side effects, values and beliefs, or inefficacy, then euthanasia becomes the most ethical decision.  

Aggression Adoptions  
Too many dogs are surrendered with known aggression issues each year. Rescues and shelters, through no fault of their own, are often unaware of aggressive behaviours because people abandon their pet's life. Furthermore, an animal in a crisis often exhibits its best behaviour. However, once relocated and the three-month adjustment period is over, aggressive behaviours emerge, and people are left with difficult decisions. I have seen a rescue take back an aggressive dog I classified as dangerous only to make it available for adoption the very same day without the mention of aggression. That is highly unethical and dangerous.  

Some people adopt a second dog, and as time goes by, adopt another and another. A year or two down the line, the young, confident dog kills one, two, or three other dogs within the same household. Intraguild predation is one of the least known aggression types because it is not well documented or discussed. Often, this type of aggression falls into the sibling rivalry category, yet these dogs are not siblings; normally, a noticeable age gap separates the dogs. Intraguild predation does not necessarily mean your dog will kill again or is a vicious killer. A predatory brain does what a predatory brain does.  

Aggression Is What Anger Does  
By calling dogs fur babies or fur kids, people have come to anthropomorphically reduce the dog to a plush toy unable of any wrongdoing. Regrettably, people have forgotten that when the stars align, dogs will bite or, worse, kill. That is their nature, and that is their function. To forget dogs are predators capable of hunting, capturing, killing, dismembering, and eating prey puts humans and non-humans at risk of such a fate. Aggression is not necessarily a bad thing; it is simply part of the genetic makeup of an animal. Organisms need a certain level of aggression to stay alive; thus, the emotion should not be ignored, but rather discussed and effective solutions implemented. One such solution is highly effective and has already been written into by-laws. Mandatory leashing of dogs is a law; consequently, law enforcers simply need to enforce the law without biases to reduce dog bites and attacks to nearly zero.  

To the questions asked at the beginning, I will let you share your thoughts. In the meantime, I propose a long reflection as to why dogs no longer have the right to exhibit aggression, why dogs cannot display their species-specific behaviours, why are dogs systematically killed because of people's ignorance, why cats can kill wildlife but not dogs, why cats who bite people are not euthanized, and why are people allowed to breed dogs who physically and behaviourally suffer their entire lives without any form of reprimand?  

Cheers, 
G. 

References 
- Casey, R. A., Loftus, B., Bolster, C., Richards, G. J., & Blackwell, E. J. (2014). Human-directed aggression in domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ): Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 152, 52–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.12.003  

- De Oliveira, T.G. & Pereira, J.A. (2013). Intraguild Predation and Interspecific Killing as Structuring Forces of Carnivoran Communities in South America. Journal of Mammal Evolution. http://.doi.org/10.1007/s10914-013-9251-4  

Echterling-Savage, K., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., Miller, L. K., & Savage, S. (2015). Effects of Caregiver-Implemented Aggression Reduction Procedure on Problem Behavior of Dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 18(2), 181–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2014.977383  

- Siracusa, C. (2016). Status-related aggression, resource guarding, and fear-related aggression in 2 female mixed breed dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 12, 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2015.12.001  

* Pain aggression includes illnesses, diseases, and accidents.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

If you are a Dogue Academy subscriber, then you have read our Newsletter and know about COVID dog syndrome. Yes, I termed that title because it reflects the entire 2020 dog population. A generation of dogs that will, for the next ten years, display behaviour problems due to non-socialization during self-isolation and quarantine. 

Socialization periods 
I have talked about critical periods of socialization many times before; in case you have not read our past articles, here is a little recap. There are many critical periods in dogs’ physical and psychological development; to make things easier, we summarized them as the neonate, socialization, adolescence, and adulthood periods. The period we are most interested in is socialization. 

The socialization period starts at four weeks and is at its peak at eight weeks (Scott & Fuller, 1965), after which it starts to close and be completely closed at sixteen weeks. Critical periods are not on-off buttons; therefore, the onset of transition periods varies from individual to individual. For the sake of argument and simplicity, socialization occurs mostly at the breeders. Once people acquire their puppy, the critical period starts to close, and there is little time to expose the dog to social encounters and habituate it to life’s multitude of stimuli. 

During the pandemic, many people introduced a puppy to their family and, because of quarantine, did not expose their dog to other people, animals, objects, sounds and smells. Four months into the pandemic, people are coming out of isolation and want to take socialization classes. Unfortunately, four-month-old puppies will start to transition into adolescence, leaving socialization behind. 

What does this mean? 
Socialization is the result of exposure to stimuli. The effect can be positive or negative. During this critical period of development, dogs learn that people, animals, objects, sounds, and smells are regular occurrences; hence, they are non-threatening. The more exposure to life during this time, the better adjusted a dog will be in society. 

When dogs are isolated or shielded from stimuli, the outcomes are usually insecure-fearful dogs or insecure-aggressive dogs. Insecure, fearful dogs want to run away, and insecure-aggressive dogs make people, animals, objects, sounds, and smells go away. Unfortunately, COVID dogs are highly likely to fall into an insecure category. This process is similar to the Winter Dog Syndrome I discussed in a previous article. 

COVID generation dog outcome 
Every dog professional saw this wave coming; unfortunately, we do not know what the overall outcome will be. I suspect we will have very insecure dogs that will require patience, training, compassion, and patience. Society might start to view dogs as they were before dogs. The surrogate child and the anthropomorphic view of animals that have possessed humans for the last two decades might finally dissipate. Dogs are not people, children, kids, or babies. They are domesticated opportunistic predators and scavengers. They display fear and anger through passive or active threats, and we should view and care for dogs as such. 

Do not get me wrong; I love dogs. However, my view and approach have always been a symbiotic partnership and trustful relationship. I complete my dogs, and they complete me in return; I trust their hearing, and they trust my sight. They help me with my illness, and in return, I feed them for all their services, open doors, pick up what I drop, film for YouTube, and allow me to train them for all the crazy ideas I have. 

SARS-CoV-2 will have lasting effects on people and dogs alike; consequently, the next ten to fifteen years will be incredibly different than previous centuries. For my part, I am anticipating an increase in aggression and fear cases. If you are a professional, be prepared to help; if you are a pet caregiver, be patient and seek help. 

Cheers.
G. 

References 
- Scott J.P. and Fuller J.L. (1965). Genetics and the Social Behaviour of the Dog. Chicago, IL: Chicago Press.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

The most common question we get when people call in for help is Can you fix my dog? First things first, for the most part, dogs are not broken. They are not objects we can repair, and they do not have parts we can change. Dogs often display desirable, aka normal behaviours or the occurrence of species-specific behaviours that occur the majority of the time. So, why are so many people calling in for behaviour problems? Let us look at the fundamental reason, and I am warning you that you might not like my answer. 

My pet peeve, and yes, the pun is intended! 
One of my pet peeves is when trainers and other behaviour consultants write on their websites that they can address behaviour problems such as barking, biting, jumping, digging, stealing food, displaying aggressive behaviours, etc. They can change your problematic dog into a well-behaved member of society. Here is the problem: none of those behaviours are problematic behaviours. The majority of dog behaviour problems are human problems. 

Dogs bark. In fact, humans breed dogs to bark. Compared to their wild counterparts, dogs are hyper-barkers. Any occasion is a vocalization opportunity in Fido’s head, so too are jumping, running away, digging, growling, and biting. Dogs love to react and pull on the leash; they enjoy chasing small animals; they like to eat trash or poop; canines roll in disgusting things; in essence, dogs display whatever behaviours they find enjoyable, and to them, that is not a problem. 

True dog behaviour problems 
Problematic behaviours, or what professionals call clinical behaviour problems (CBP), are genuinely dysfunctional behaviours. We define a CBP as an action or reaction that prevents the organism from functioning normally. For example, a dog that guards its food does not suffer from a CBP; food guarding is a healthy dog behaviour. If a dog did not guard its food, it would have nothing to eat, and it would die. A dog that guards its food to the point where it cannot eat can, and often does, suffer from anorexia. The dog’s weight will be dangerously low and will need pharmacological and behavioural therapy to help modify its eating habits. The same can be observed when a dog eats so fast it vomits and eats the food again. When the cycle goes on, the dog can suffer from bulimia and anorexia, and its overall health will suffer. 

Another common dog behaviour problem that is not a problem is aggression. Dogs are predators and function under different rules when it comes to conflict management. When dogs tell other dogs to get out of their space or face, they do it with growls and teeth, not with flowers and chocolates. Those behaviours might be problematic for people who are unfamiliar with dog behaviour, but in reality, these behaviours are necessary and, thus, considered healthy behaviours. Aggression-related CBP often results in self-mutilation or phantom conflicts with a body part. You most likely have seen these behaviours on television or YouTube, most often labelled funny dog videos. 

Animal behaviour professionalism 
In my professional experience, people do not know the difference between desirable and undesirable dog behaviours, and that is perfectly fine. That is why clients hire us. That said, I have an issue with websites that list dog behaviour problems that are not. The downfall with this type of approach is that clients are led to believe their dogs can be fixed when, in reality, they are not broken. When a human goes to a psychologist or psychiatrist, do we expect the person to be fixed? No, we do not! So, if we cannot fix a person, how can people claim, as dog professionals, to be able to fix dogs? 

Throughout my thirty-four years in the dog training and animal behaviour industry, I have seen and heard many strange things; however, I have never lost my direction when it comes to transforming a pastime into a professional business. Exotic and domestic animal trainers need to step up and answer the professionalism call. Trainers need to educate clients and tell them what are the differences between normal and abnormal behaviours. 

There needs to be a discussion on why training goals are critical components of outcome expectations. If you are training or modifying animal behaviour in exchange for money, your criterion needs to be realistic and professional. To tell a client their Australian Cattle dog’s ankle-biting behaviour can be fixed is unrealistic and unethical. Working to eliminate dog behaviours that were created by humans is unfair to the dog and, in my opinion, cruel. 

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr

Over the last few weeks, I have been wondering about what to write for this blog. What could I possibly say about dogs that could relate to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19? The only thing I am prompted to discuss is our inter-species connections. As animals of the earth, humans have placed themselves way above the species totem pole, yet, in the blink of an eye, a microscopic organism brought us down really fast. 

I live in front of a giant park, and each day, I see how nature and dogs are pulling humans out and forcing them to reconnect with their humanity. People cannot come close to one another, yet have found talking grounds to connect. It is as though the very worst gave rise to the very best. A balance. A dichotomy. The dog: our stable mind throughout this pandemic. 

A virus is causing humans to rethink their life choices, prioritizing family time, dog time, and, inevitably, outside time. Mother Earth, once taken for granted, now becomes the beacon of hope. Every day, for the last twenty-two days, we get excited about going outside like we once did when we were young. Every day for the last three weeks, the dog has been requesting to go out, and we are grateful it does so. People have stopped fast-tracking their lives and now reflect on priorities. What humans are and what they should be now holds in the balance. 

The planet screams climate change as pollution kills its inhabitants, and then a viral infection attacking the human lungs is sent. The irony!!! It is a blessing, and we can thank Mother Earth for this gift, for I am reminded how life is precious no matter what species, race, culture, education, size, sex, social status, or wealth one is or has because SARS-CoV-2 does not discriminate. In the micro-world of viruses, BSL does not exist. 

Today, I took both dogs out for a long walk. Our daily pleasure is taken to a new level of enjoyment. The sun was shining, and for the first time, my neighbour and I said hello. We did not say hello because we needed to; we said hello because another organism made us do it: our dogs. We were rallied outside at the same moment for the same purpose. Our dogs do not like each other, but we both love our dogs and today, the call of nature imposed on us by SARS-CoV-2 made us greet each other. Dogs made us say hello because we now acknowledge the value of being outside and having a wonderful park to share with them. 

Animals, however big or small, all play an important role in the dichotomy of the universe. As they did many times in the past, microorganisms keep humans in line with earthly rules, reminding us that we are a part of Earth, no apart from it. It reminds me of my favourite poem by Emily Dickinson.

 We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise; 
And then, if we are true to plan, 
Our statures touch the skies. 

The heroism we recite 
Would be a daily thing, 
Did not ourselves the cubits warp 
For fear to be a king.

Our day ends as the sun goes over the horizon, setting the stage for another adventure. One in which families anticipate that moment when they get to go outside and play together with the kids or with the dog. I deeply wish COVID-19 did not kill people, but I also wish it never goes away. Just like dogs make us feel connected to nature, coronavirus makes us feel connected to each other. 

As I look at my dogs sleeping, I can only be thankful for this pandemic because it reconnected us to our humanity. Our dogs will not remember this historical event, but our children will, consequently, share with them how important their creativity, thoughts, ideas, solutions, and dreams impact humanity. 

P.S. You might not know, but my first career was in the arts, more specifically design; consequently, I returned to my creative roots and started The Creative Dog, depicting life through a dog's eyes. True to form, there is a hidden code in the logo. Can you find it?

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

My answer to the article that passed on the CBC website (see sources) 

The rules, first announced last December, are aimed at preventing dog attacks and maulings. Really? Nowhere on earth where this type of law exists has there been a decrease in dog bites? 

Under the law, municipalities are required to enforce the province's regulations, which include ordering dangerous dogs to be euthanized. A municipality can also pass its own stricter rules. Montreal adopted its own bylaw in 2018. Please consult your own municipalities.

Doctors and veterinarians will be required to report dog bites. People will now avoid veterinarians or lie about what happened. 

If a person is bitten, the doctor who treats them has to tell the municipality about the bite. Fair enough, we do need that, but are municipal inspectors truly professionals, and can they actually assess aggressive dogs?

In the case of a veterinarian, if a dog that has been bitten is brought in for treatment, the veterinarian will be forced to report it. What good will that do? If no one knows the perpetrator, that's just inefficient. Most people involved in these situations just leave. Will the city or the province be hiring detectives? 

Dr. Caroline Kilsdonk, the president of the Quebec Order of Veterinarians, said vets can report bites that happen in the vet's office or waiting room. So stress and critical space invasion are reason enough to have dogs euthanized? Today, my dogs reacted to a dog who appeared from behind, silent like a hawk and entered our critical space while I was doing a training exercise. Under this new law, if the person complains, my dogs could risk the death penalty because an untrained vet or city clerk can decide if my dogs are aggressive or not.

She said vets will probably not report small bites that can happen during an examination since the dog can be frightened or in pain. Well, this is just another form of BSL. I am seriously against that. ALL bites should be reported then. PERIOD!!! 

"[But if] we're doing a basic manipulation and the dog bites four or five times, you know, it's not proportional," she said. "So that could be reported." Again, BSL!!! 

People who have aggressive dogs and seek out veterinary advice may also be reported if their dog has bitten before, Kilsdonk said. We now know what's going to happen. People will simply not ask veterinarians. People don't want to lose their dogs, so I predict vet visits will decrease significantly. 

Once a bite is reported to a municipality, the municipality will order an assessment by a veterinarian to see if the dog is actually dangerous. OK, this is where I have a huge issue. Since when are veterinarians equipped to assess aggression? Will they have to come with my clients and me on walks? Will they ask me what clients and I have been doing to address the problem? You are asking medical doctors to be professional psychologists and psychiatrists. This is the worst decision EVER. So many dogs are going to die. 

"Dog owners with dogs who bite will want help from veterinarians who are experts on dog behaviour," she said. "[But] there's a possibility that the veterinarian will have to report." Again, such a wrong decision. Regular vets received a weekend workshop on aggression and are now experts. Sorry, vet friends, but we both know that's just a flat-out lie. 

Dogs deemed dangerous will face restrictions 

If a dog is deemed potentially dangerous, restrictions on the dog will apply. 

A potentially dangerous dog must be sterilized, microchipped and have all its rabies vaccines up to date. The dog will also need to wear a muzzle in all public places. I agree with this. It's just basic common sense. But what about enforcing leash laws??? 

The animal will also be prohibited from being alone with kids under the age of 10 without adult supervision. Why 10? The actual age should be 18. 

If the dog owner's home does not have a fence or does not have a fence that will adequately contain the animal, other measures will be required. There must also be a sign warning people that a potentially dangerous dog is on the property. I agree with this, too, because it's just common sense. 

If a dog is declared potentially dangerous in one municipality, the ruling applies to the entirety of Quebec. Sounds reasonable. 

Dominique Alain lost her triceps in after being attacked by three dogs last spring. The incident left her disfigured and left her arm weak. (Denis Gervais/Radio-Canada) If you're going to use scare tactics, at least write the circumstances of this situation. 

Dogs can be euthanized under specific circumstances. 

If a dog bites or attacks a person, leading to serious injury or death, the municipality can order that the dog be euthanized. With or without an evaluation? I'm assuming the latter. I have a question. Who will evaluate the dog? With only three veterinarian behaviourists (verified March 4, 2020 - see names below) for the entire Province, I wonder how Quebec will manage dog aggression evaluations?!  

A serious injury is defined as a physical injury that could result in death or "significant physical consequences" to the person. 

The rules also leave the door open to euthanasia if the dog presents a risk to the "health of public security" of the population. We have already seen this happen. If your neighbour makes a complaint stating your dog is dangerous, the city patrol (read non-professional person trained by another non-professional clerk) can decide if your dog lives or dies. WOW!!! That might open a Pandora's box. Wait, it did actually open just a few months ago.

What if an owner doesn't follow the rules? 

There are penalties for owners who fail to comply with the new rules. 

The owner can have their dog seized and be banned from owning or keeping a dog for a determined period of time. Let's get real here, "seized" and killed, you forgot the word KILLED!!! What happens if your dog bit you? As in the image to the left. Is the dog reported? Seized? Killed? Again, people will lie because they don't want to lose their pets.

Owners can also face hefty fines, up to $2,500, depending on the infraction. If an owner hinders someone enforcing the regulation, including by giving "deceiving" statements, the fine can go up to $5,000. Sounds good to me. 

Fines can also double if it applies to a dog deemed potentially dangerous. 

Will this actually make things safer? 

Kilsdonk, the president of the Order of Veterinarians, thinks so. She said there has been a "major improvement" in how governments tackle the question of dangerous dogs. Here, you need to read the sentence properly. The sentence talks about the government's actions, not an actual decrease in dog bites: "There has been a "major improvement" in how governments tackle the question of dangerous dogs." this translates to We, as bureaucrats, are doing good, but dogs still bite. All this political nonsense will do is build a data bank on dog bites. 

"There was some level of just letting things go, and some municipalities did not have any regulations. Some did not apply it seriously," she said. 

She said that most dog attacks in recent years took place in areas that did not have basic regulations for dealing with dangerous dogs. If there were rules in place, some of those attacks would not have happened, she said. Excuse me, if every municipality enforced leash laws, all this would be unnecessary. The vast majority of bites and attacks would not have happened if dogs were LEASHED. PERIOD!!! 

Kilsdonk also said there was some concern about how veterinarians are supposed to get in touch with their municipalities since every city and town will likely have a different system. Good luck with that. 

But she said she's optimistic that things will be better than they were before. Sweet dreams, people. USA doctors and vets have been obliged to report dog bites for decades, and guess what??? Bites did NOT decrease. 

"I think just the fact that now we will have a basic regulation everywhere … that there will be an improvement." Again, NO, there will not!!! The government and veterinarians need to get real. Seriously!!!  

Gaby’s Two Cents. 
All of this means people will go underground, and some vets will accompany them. People will stop going to the vet because they will be afraid of a potential bite. With this law, dogs that are bitten will need to be reported, but what happens when these “bitten” dogs start to defend themselves? They will eventually be reported and die, too?? I’m so disappointed, not to say angry, about all this. This law was not the original proposal. 

The weekend workshop veterinarians received a few months ago on aggression is by FAR adequate knowledge to evaluate dogs and decide on the outcome of their lives. What happens if a veterinarian dislikes, not to say hates, certain dog breeds? I would like vets to contact me before they assess aggression cases; that way, I know it’s done properly. Go to a vet behaviourist, you say. Turns out we don’t have enough of them around; consequently, they are booked solid, sometimes months away. 

Maybe I should design a test for vets just to see if they are indeed qualified to assess aggression. 

So many things are wrong with this law... 

Cheers.
G.

Sources: 
Quebec's new dangerous dog law comes into effect today. Here's what you need to know. 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/dangerous-dog-explain-1.5483630 March 3rd, 2020.

Ordre des Medecins Veterinaires du Quebec
https://www.omvq.qc.ca/trouver-medecin-veterinaire.html 

* Board Certified Veterinary Behaviourists in the province of Quebec:

Centre Veterinaire DMV, Montreal
- Isabelle Demontigny-Bédard
- Sabrina Poggiagliolmi

Globalvet, Quebec
- Martin Godbout

Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

A topic that often comes up in professional group meetings is how do you deal with difficult clients, social media, and avoid burnout. There is no cookie-cutter answer to that question. However, l have nearly 35 years of experience dealing with people, animals, self-care, and a degree in family education. Let me share my experiences with you, and hopefully, my recommendations can help you. 

Difficult Clients 
Some people tell me during their interview to become a professional that they do not like working with, people; unfortunately, every single animal on earth is, in one form or another, controlled by humans. In our field, clients are those people. Some people are nice, while others are not. It is how we deal with each unique situation that makes us professionals. If clients can hire us, we can fire them because the client is not always right. Deviant behaviour from people places our professional reputations on the line. I have a few rules in place to help guide me when potential problems occur. I base my professional relationship with clients on these critical rules. 

1.    Clients must remain respectful even when emotions run high.  
      I.    Verbal and physical abuse are NOT acceptable. And by physical abuse, imagine a client asking you to walk their dog at -35°C with a windchill of -41°C, that is abuse to the dog and you.
2.    Clients must do their homework. 
      I.    Investing time in clients and dogs means we expect changes to occur. We get remuneration in return, but when people do not help themselves help their dog, we have a responsibility to ask ourselves is this acceptable to me.  
      II.   Dogs are your business card, so imagine a client with a reactive dog that meat another person. That person says You should get a dog trainer and the client answers I do; I've been working with them for eight months now! Each case is different, but if you know the client is not working on the behaviour, then your credentials go flying out the window, especially if the stranger asks for your name.
3.    Clients must be on time.  
      I.    There must be a plan in place to avoid late-comers, no-shows, or overstays. Trying to deal with a problem as it unfolds is difficult, not to say impossible, to manage. We have terms and conditions waiver each client must sign. On the waiver, it states how we will deal with each situation and the financial compensation that we expect. 
      II.    Firing clients who are chronically late, show-don't-show, or stay longer because they arrived later is reason enough for me to cease our professional relationship. I do not want clients that do not take their dog's behaviour issues seriously.
4.    Clients cannot take two types of training simultaneously. 
      I.    Over the years, I have had many clients to take two classes at once, our class and a punishment-based class. I ask these clients to stop, and if they do not wish to do so, then they will have to go. Remaining passive is contributing to an out-dated dog training practice.    
5.    Birds of a feather flock together. 
      I.    Saying no to future clients is OK. I understand the need to make a living, but money often buys into problems (all four previous ones), and that is NOT how professional service providers should think.  
      II.   Think of your job as a psychologist and ask yourself, Would I tolerate this or that situation?  Is this situation acceptable? Is anybody (dog or human) getting emotionally or physically hurt? Would a psychologist do this? Listen to your answer and go from there.  
      III.   If you have never dealt with a psychologist, I suggest you see one and ask him/her how they deal with certain situations, or better yet, consult the following link to read up about their professional order's ethics and rules.  
6.    Seek out mentorship when necessary. 
     I.    If you are new to the trade, find a professional that shares your core values and ideas and understudy your mentor during their sessions. The experience is enlightening and rewarding.  
     II.   How to interview and be interviewed are fantastic assets in our profession.  

Social Media 
Social media is a new reality, and unfortunately, most professionals do not know who, what, when, where, why, and how to use it, which can lead to the following topic or even ruin someone's career. When social media started to take on its own life, I decided to study it and establish a rule for myself, the Dogue Shop, and now the Dog Academy. Here are some of those rules. 

1.    Post on your social media content that reflects who you are and walk away.  
      I.    Remove the notifications and let your army do the rest. Your followers will fight your battles for you. This way, you do not risk screen captures taken out of context. 
      II.   Negativity affects us whether we want it or not. Social media can quickly explode into a chaotic situation and find yourself in damage control situations. 
      III.  Check your ego at the virtual social media door. Flared opinions destroy careers in an instant, i.e. Don Cherry  
2.    Think before you post, comment, like, or share. 
      I.    Make 100% sure what you are about to do is positive and educational.  
      II.   Some people like catchy news titles but do not read the actual articles. If that is the case, your comment should include a I did not read statement. 
      III.  Sometimes ranting is necessary; therefore, do it with someone you trust 200% and do it in private, ideally over coffee. 
      IV.  When you upload a client's video or photo, make sure you have their written consent in e-mail, text, or paper form. You are sharing a third party's information, and their privacy needs to be respected (see rule 5-II in the previous section).  
3.    Never go live on social media with animals. 
      I.    It can get you into sticky situations. Random photobombers can ruin your moment and your career, for that matter. Should a dog bite you, that too can mean the end.  
      II.   Stay clear of compromising associations. If you want to have a different private life on social media, create an alter ego profile. 
4.    Do not mixe professional and personal profiles. 
      I.    Your personal profile should include people you know, if not, make lists and choose your privacy setting when you post.  
      II.   I have three lists: friends, family, and acquaintances. Depending on what I share, I select the appropriate list. 
      III.  Your professional profile should be for everybody else. I direct friend requests to visit the Dogue Shop page and tell them how they can get our notifications in their feed.  
5.    Get to know your preferred social media's rules. 
      I.    Facebook rules, for example, do not allow for certain topics, words, or content. 
      II.   Social media algorithms work differently for different companies; make sure you know the basics to avoid redundancy and get negative feedback. 
      III.  Post different things on different platforms, it helps prevent viral defamation. 
      IV.  There is no need to share past posts; you are at another place and time.  
      V.   Report negative posts, whether they are directed at you or not.

Burnout 
Why are all these rules necessary? Because the number one reason people stop working with animals is that they burned out. We love animals, and we love to help, but taking on too much does nobody any favours—most people burnout within five years of becoming a professional. Trainers, groomers, vet techs, dog walkers, and dog sitters want to help; conversely, they cannot say no, fear not making ends meet, think they will fail, or do not know how to deal with clients and social media.

In a nutshell, professionals do not have effective coping strategies and rules set up beforehand. To avoid burning out, think of the above rules and try to adapt them to your specific service. You can also add the following rules to your list. 

1.    Learn to center yourself. 
      I.    Yoga* is an excellent place to start because its core philosophy is about centring the mind. Yoga in Sanskrit means to unite the mind with the divine.  
      II.   Meditation is all about clearing the ego's nonsense blabbering. You know, that voice inside your head that never stops, well it turns out you can quiet the chatter. 
      III.    Try mindful meditation classes or apps such as Calm or Headspace. 
2.    Learn to center your body. 
      I.     Asanas, aka physical poses found within the yoga philosophy, refers to being comfortably seated/established/rooted within yourself. Learning to center the mind by first centring the body can only be beneficial.  
      II.    Learning to breathe, aka prayanamas in yoga, can help clear one's head when other techniques are not available.  
      III.   Massages and acupuncture are beneficial too. 
3.    Learn to center your emotions. 
      I.    Healthily evacuate your emotions: movies, music, screams, cry, or flip through photos; do whatever it takes. Wine does not count. 
      II.   Art therapy is another fantastic option for emotional release. Animal-assisted therapy does not count. 
      III.  Go running, jogging, or do any other solo physical activity except going for a walk with the dog. You need to distance yourself to create a new mind space.  
      IV.   Write or journal then burn your paperwork; it helps to evacuate stored emotions.  
4.    Evaluate your Umwelt (oom-velt) 
      I.    The world experienced by the experiencer refers to how you evaluate your experience of any given situation. On a scale of 0 to 10, zero being dead and ten being euphoric, where do you find yourself. 
      II.   When events occur in our daily lives, we can assess our Umwelt by merely telling ourselves the number that corresponds to the feelings and emotions you are having at that exact moment. 
      III.   When your Umwelt in under five, it is time to go, make a change, reassess, move on, etc. 

If you feel you are on the verge of tossing everything out the window and screaming Screw you life! then you are already burned out. You need to make drastic changes. Ideally, do not wait until that moment to make adjustments. Preventing burnout is so essential I highly recommend you set up your own rules as soon as possible. Over the last thirty years, I have seen many talented professionals toss the baby out with the bathwater. I know first hand how our jobs wreak havoc on emotions, minds, and bodies, but I have never burned out because I have set rules for myself. Please consider doing the same. 

I hope this article was helpful and that you can start creating self-care strategies that work for you. The dog world can be a cruel one, but it can also be rewarding, not to say reinforcing when the right strategies are in place. In the meantime, try to find another professional that can lend an ear and empathize with you. 

* There are eight limbs to the yoga philosophy, they are Yama, Nyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Samadhi

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

There is an old saying that goes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. You are probably thinking how does this apply to our profession, and with just cause. If you have read my articles in the past, you know I am not one to hide behind controversy; hopefully, the title got your attention and you will continue to read about why science and beliefs both influence dog training and behaviour. 

Positive Reinforcement 
Positive reinforcement (R+) is a quadrant within operant conditioning, which is part of a bigger learning theory called behaviourism. The other three quadrants are negative reinforcement (R-), positive punishment (P+), and negative punishment (P-). For the sake of this article, we will focus on R+ and P+. 

The definition of R+ is to add a desirable stimulus in order to increase the probability a behaviour will occur again. R+ is an effective and ethical way to train animals and humans. When the dog has exhibited desirable behaviour, it receives reinforcement and subsequently a reward. The reward is whatever the ANIMAL wants: water, sex, food, safety, shade, warmth, air, affection. Obviously, some of these elements are unethical to use such as air or sex, but for the most part, the other basic needs can and are used to train animals. Whether you are aware of it or not, animals can and do reinforce themselves with rewards you are unconscious of. 

Positive Punishment 
Positive punishment (P+) is another quadrant within the operant conditioning learning theory. The definition of P+ is to add an undesirable stimulus in order to decrease the likelihood a behaviour will occur again. This requires precision timing and efficacy, which are very hard to administer. In essence, punishments, both positive and negative, serve to make behaviours go away. When you think about it, punishment does make much sense when we are trying to create new behaviours. For example, to teach a dog to sit, P+ trainers will pull on a choke chain in order to teach the dog the behaviour; however, what is truly occurring, scientifically speaking, is people are punishing standing. From there, the dog is supposed to guess that a down sit is required. To summarize P+, dogs go through life avoiding pain and guessing which behaviours yield no pain. 

Human Reinforcement 
Humans acquire information from the same learning theories we utilize to train dogs and animals in general. Whether we are conscious or unconscious of our actions, P+ occurs in our lives on a daily basis. Red lights make you stop; social media notifications make you operate your cellphone; cold coffee makes you get up; a child crying makes your usher shushhhhh; your chronic lateness gets you fired; whatever the punisher is they all serve to make behaviour decrease. Unfortunately, people have associated punishment with severe pain. Most likely because they were victims of physical punishment or have seen or heard of physical punishments occurring to others. Nobody wants to go to jail because we like our freedom; therefore, the severity of the punishment regulates our behaviour. In other words, we behave because we want to avoid jail. 

Two and Two Together 
Our entire society is based on punishment; consequently, the vast majority of people believe in punishment, and a smaller and smaller amount of people believe in corporal punishment as a means of education. Whichever way we look at it, we were punished as children. When my son tried his first tantrum in a store, I looked at him and said Stop or I’m walking away! He threw himself on the ground, so I walked away. By doing so, I removed myself thereby adding vulnerability in order to decrease the likelihood that another tantrum (behaviour) would occur. You might agree with the process or not, that is not the point*. The point is, that my son never attempted a tantrum because the punishment was well-timed and effective. Punishment does not need to be physically or mentally painful to be effective. Thankfully reinforcement is on the rise, but let us be honest for a moment, R+ is lagging behind. This brings me to the introduction point. 

As professionals, we are required to change behaviours, normally from undesirable to desirable, for the well-being of our clients. Herein lies the problem which raises a serious ethical question. When dogs have learned from a punishment approach and we are called in to readdress behaviours that have gotten worse over time, we go in confident R+ will positively change the dog’s behaviour. Unfortunately, that is an extremely false and dangerous assumption. 

A P+ taught dog living with a P+ human will suffer greatly in the hands of an R+ trainer. Why? Because for X amount of years the dog learned by being told what not to do, therein comes an R+ trainer who starts to teach the dog that it has control of its reinforcement. The dog now learns what to do, and finds it pleasurable, but at the end of the session, the dog will return to a P+ home. The dog now finds itself in a desirable and undesirable conundrum. Obviously, some people can shift their beliefs and start R+ training the dog; however, there is a big proportion of the owner population for whom punishment is not only a rule, it is a belief system deeply ingrained within themselves and no amount of R+ dog training they receive, their punishment behaviours will not change. Reinforcement is simply unattainable and the dog will suffer. 

Ethically Speaking 
When we are confronted with owners who firmly believe in punishment, our roles shift from dog trainer to wellness agent. We now have to assess if it is ethical to keep training or not. We must ask ourselves Is it ethical to teach a dog for one hour a week that it can get all it wants (so to speak) in exchange for reinforcement, but the rest of the time it will continue to be punished? Pleasure vs Displeasure. Humans who strongly believe in punishment are refractory to change, consciously or unconsciously; consequently, dogs in these situations become very conflicted and aggression can inadvertently increase. By no fault of their own, R+ dog trainers are making matters worse. As professionals, what should we do? Here are some ideas. 

1. We walk away after advising the caregiver you can no longer work with them if they are unwilling to change their belief system. Explain why behaviours will worsen. 
2. Advise owners to stop training altogether and offer a management approach for the behaviour problem. This way, everybody wins by not learning. 
3. If they are adamant about working with their punishment tools, teach them how to use them effectively. The goal is to decrease the use of punishment. 
4. Demonstrate how to say good boy and pet the dog after the behaviour, this way there will be some reinforcement in the dog’s life. Obviously, the dog should like being petted. 
5. Propose rehoming or surrendering if undesirable behaviours require such a solution. 

I have worked with hardcore clients who unconditionally believed people and animals could solely learn from being punished. I once worked with a 79-year-old woman who owned an out-of-control Belgium Sheppard. The lady refused to use R+, even after I demonstrated its efficiency, and made it clear I was not there to teach her otherwise. Before I told her I could not work with her, I did demonstrate how to use the choke chain efficiently ad effectively. For all matters of purpose, it was upsidedown and creating more pain by getting tangled in the dog’s fur. 

My approach has always been nonjudgemental. I prefer to explore both sides of a situation, problem, or belief system and come up with an ethical solution for all involved. Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made, but one thing remains, we all strive to improve the well-being of both humans and dogs. In certain situations, R+ is simply unethical, thus, we need to cease and desist. Our profession dictates the use of science; consequently, to deny one or all three quadrants of learning because they do not reflect our belief system causes more problems than it solves. Extremism never benefits anyone. I am not saying you should go out and use P+, that would be unethical nonsense. What I am suggesting is to think about how being narrowminded and unscientific affects animal and human wellness. I am suggesting we discuss science in its integrity and apply it ethically, even if sometimes it requires going against our own beliefs because too much of a good thing is a bad thing! 

* When my son reached the end of the aisle, I was there to greet him with open arms and a kiss (R+). The explanation of that process is an entirely different article.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE 

I have been told by students, over the years, Thanks to you, my dream has been destroyed! I am here to tell you why I did it and why am happy I did. As a teacher and educator, my role is to make certain your career in the animal world is safe and long-lived. That process is based on the time we share together. The Animal Behaviour Apprenticeship (ABA) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) programs are respectively 200 and 100 hours, which is a very short amount of time to become a professional, but that does not mean it is impossible... 

Why I Broke the Dog Trainer 
The first thing people write on their letter of intent when they apply for a program is I've been around dogs all my life or I just want to work with animals. The first realization that comes with being a student is you will always work with a human and an animal. It is not the other way around. Breaking the dream refers to the reality check future animal behaviour professionals get when they take one of the Dogue Academy’s programs. 

The second break comes when future professionals realize how little they actually knew about dogs. Even though a person might have been around dogs all their life, dog behaviour is far more complex than one imagines. Dog behaviour is an actual language canids use to communicate. When you learn it, you cannot unlearn it, and all the innocence of joyfully playing with dogs now turns from an emotional to a cognitive perspective. When students learn this harsh reality, my job here is done. 

Learning to work safely with animals is also a belief crusher. Once a person learns what dogs are truly saying, they realize just how much dogs really do not want to serve us unconditionally. Dogs are living organisms and at times, they have an agenda of their own. Dog behaviours are not always the direct result of human intervention or lack thereof. Dogs do have clinical behaviour problems, and dogs do not love everybody unconditionally. When students learn to work safely with dogs, my job here is done. 

In my class, you are faced with the realization that you do not have a special connection to animals, you just had luck, thus far. When the stars align, bites happen, regardless of the number of papers on the wall, and when aggression manifests itself, careers can end abruptly. So the question becomes, do you prefer a short pleasant emotional passion or a long cognitive animal career? When you can answer the question, my job here is done. 

Why I Am Happy I Broke the Dog Trainer 
I am happy I break my dog trainers because the process ensures a long and healthy, bite-free, career. Broken trainers are able to professionally safeguard the public from possible disastrous situations. I am happy I broke my students because they can uphold objective discussions void of emotional interference. I am joyful of the fact that future professionals improve the lives of dogs and people who take care of them. That statement is actually part of the Dogue Shop's mission statement. 

Finally, to my past, present, and future Dogue Academy students, I must say I am happy you are living your dream, but most of all, I am delighted you will have a long and safe career because I Broke You! 

My job here is done.

Cheers,
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

The following is factual information. When you need information about something, you should never ask your friends and learn how to actually use Google. Anecdotes and stories are not scientific. Science is not opinion-based, it is a tangible, measurable, quantifiable, and qualifiable information gathering process, also known as data collection. This article might seem controversial to some people, but facts are facts. The time has come for people to return to the time when dogs were treated as such and when being approached or touched by complete strangers was NOT acceptable. Remember that time in history when people educated their children on how to respect dogs as sentient beings? That is where these 25 facts will take you. 

1. Taxonomy (see photo)
2. Designer dog breeds are NOT hybrids. Your doodle, pomsky, poky, Skidoo, etc are NOT F1s or even F4s. They are mixed breeds, NOT hybrids.
   - A hybrid is a cross between two animals from the same genus -> dog and wolf = F1 or wolf and coyote = F1
   - A cross-breed is a cross between two animals of the same species -> Labrador and poodle = cross-breed dog or -> red wolf and grey wolf = cross-breed wolf
3. Dogs are NOT pack animals. 
4. Dogs display dominance. 
   - Wolves display dominance. 
   - Humans display dominance.
   - Birds display dominance.
5. Dogs are NOT omnivores.
   - Canids do NOT have flat molars to chew plants and extract vitamins and minerals.
   - Dogs are NOT vegetarian or vegan. 
6. Dogs see yellow and blue. 
   - Dogs do NOT see in black and white only. 
7. Dogs do NOT transpire through their skin. They excrete heat through their feet, ears, and panting. 
   - Pomeranians do NOT need a winter jacket. 
   - Huskies do NOT need winter jackets.
   - Labradors do NOT need winter jackets. 
   - Shelties do NOT need a winter jacket. 
8. Salt does NOT corrode dog footpads during walks. Moisture freezes upon contact with cold snow, ice, frozen cement, etc. That is painful.
9. Dogs are 15 000+ years old as a species. Dog kibble hit the market in 1951. Dogs did NOT evolve a new digestive system within 68 years. 
10. Dogs are opportunistic predators. 
11. Dogs are NOT humans.
12. Dogs are NOT like people. 
13. Dogs bite. 
14. Dogs kill. 
15. Dogs die. 
16. Dogs have emotions: anger, anticipation, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise, trust.
    - Dogs are not jealous.
17. Dogs CANNOT physically release tears, aka cry. 
18. Bladder size is proportionate to dog size.
    - Chihuahuas can hold their urine as long as Irish Wolfhounds.
    - Retention is a learned process. 
19. Dogs can eat 10% of their body weight in one sitting. 
20. Training does NOT cause obesity. 
21. Overfeeding and lack of exercise cause obesity. 
22. Dogs do NOT like being hugged. 
23. Dogs do NOT have fail-safe mechanisms. 
24. Canada has four official dog breeds: Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Nova-Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and the Canadian Eskimo Dog. 
    - The Tahltan Bear Dog is extinct. 
    - British Labradors are  NOT a dog breed 
    - American Labradors are NOT a dog breed.
25. Labradors are from Labrador, CANADA.

Five bonus factual tidbits of information for those curious minds

1. Dog jaws do NOT lock.
2. The Canadian Kennel Club recognized 175 dog breeds
   - The FCI recognizes 344 dog breeds.
   - The FCI has 98 member countries. Canada is NOT one of them.
3. Dogs can taste a smell.
4. Behaviourism is NOT the only learning theory applicable to dogs.
   - Social-cognitive learning theory in animals has been studied since the 1950s. 
   - Dogs learn by imitation
   - Dogs learn by cognition
5. The clicker originates from WWII.

Cheers,
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a human intervention system that serves to connect two individuals in order to facilitate therapeutic goals and objectives. The process can also be preventative in nature. When I tell people what I do for a living, the first comment I get is “I wouldn’t be able to do that, I’d get too attached.” Actually, the goal of AAT is getting attached. In my upcoming book, I will discuss the role of animal-assisted therapy on attachment.

My teams and I work very hard to attach to the participants in our programs because we are there to make a difference in their lives. The goals are to build secure attachments between ourselves and teenagers, to communicate their emotions, develop confidence and self-esteem, and to experience positive exchanges between people. Animals facilitate the process because of their non-judgmental personas. Dogs simply do not care about social status, branded clothing, vocabulary, finances, and other artificially created concepts. Dogs express joy or they do not, it is that easy. Similarly, we do not care about those things either. Our egos are checked at the door during AAT and teens appreciate that, which in turn, solidifies the bonds we are trying to build. In AAT, teens are allowed to be tired, frustrated, angry, joyful, fearful, or even disgusted. When people have issues, we simply encourage them to keep trying until they make a choice. We will do the same the next time around and remain consistent throughout the process. 

It takes on average six to eight weeks to create secure attachments with teens. Rats accelerate the process by one to two weeks. That said, time is of no concern to my team or me. Actually, it is the opposite, we pride ourselves on the connections and changes we see in students. School personnel also appreciate the changes they see in students, especially on the days we are physically on location. I enjoy working with each teen even if results are negative, for, we never truly know the impact we have had on a person. The exercises we propose to the participants are not always easy, but we do it together and that is what builds attachments. We never let a person fail, and in return teens never let animals fail. The cycle is one of deep connections based on mutual agreements of non-abandonment. In our social-cognitive triangle, we build the foundations of secure attachment. Rats a very proficient at creating secure attachments. 

Some cases are more poignant than others; consequently, when the end of the school year approaches, sometimes we need to swallow our tears, not because we are sad, but rather because we are happy to have experienced such positive changes. I believe it is inhumane to purposefully allow distance between people. In AAT, I build connections along the way to eventually hug the teens. That being said, we ask before we hug and totally accept no for an answer. Some students prefer not to be hugged and we respected their wishes. The end of the 2018-2019 school year was particularly hard for me because we were seeing off three students that had been in AAT for some time. I hope one day to cross paths with them and chat about their lives since AAT, but I remain extremely joyful to have shared the time we did. 

I love adolescent energy, the mind is so creative during this period of development. Erickson’s called the developmental phase of adolescence Identify vs. Role Confusion. If we want teens to become welladjusted adults, getting attached is easy when you know the outcome is a positive one, even if results seem like a failure. In reality, we can never know or say we failed because we tried. To me failing a teen comes in the form of detachment, not caring, or avoid bonding with them altogether.

Cheers,
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

After chatting with Dogue Shop graduated students, I decided to summarize our discussion to help other novice trainers and clients alike. It might seem like a clear-cut process, but an unregulated profession yields unregulated prices. The following article attempts to shed some light on the topic. 

Dog Trainer Profession 
The dog training profession is not a regulated industry; consequently, the question of pricing in an unregulated service becomes an interesting topic. Some dog trainers might not agree with my ideologies, but if you think about it, it makes much sense. In an unregulated profession, one should act professionally to be considered professional. 

A professional should be ethical, educated, efficient, and effective. As a professional, ethics requires one to impart the necessary information, in the least amount of time, and at the lowest cost possible. In other words, get in; get out, as fast as possible. Professionals should never make their clients dependant on their services. 

Dog Trainers vs. Psychologists 
I teach my students to be ethical about pricing. I explain why I chose psychology as the closest profession resembling our own. Psychologists must adhere to their professional order in order to practice. Although their order does not regulate prices, psychologists have developed an unofficial price average most members adhere too. Their pricing guideline sets a precedent for our industry because it states a clear message. Before we talk about amounts, please take a look at the following table. It illustrates the different requirements needed between professionals after graduation. 

Dog Trainers: 

Ethical Prices 
Prices for a psychologist, with a Ph.D., varies between 80$ and 130$. This pricing scale is also accurate for the national average. A psychologist in Quebec will roughly cost you the same in Alberta or New-Brunswick. Just like other experts, psychologists who specialize in a specific area of the human psyche cost more per hour. Specialized professionals might cost 150-200$ per hour. The price is still affordable for someone with a Ph.D. if you ask me. 

It baffles me when dog trainers charge upwards of 300$ per hour with three years of experience in dog training. I have seen many things in the last 32 years, but the craziest thing I heard is I client who paid 800-900$ for life, for dog training, and only did three sessions before they came to me. That is 300$ per hour. That should not happen. 

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to train your dog, wait until you hire an amateur!” - Unknown 

Pricing Strategies 
There are different ways to set prices in the service industry. I will explain the sliding-scale, cost-oriented, value-based, and competition-oriented pricing models and give an example. Pricing models help standardize service fees. Once implemented, your model should not change. As a point of reference, the most prevalent pricing models for psychologists are value-based and sliding-scale, but in the dog training industry, competition-oriented and cost-plus pricing seem to be the preferred strategies. The following explains the three models. 

- Sliding-scale: is a variable price for a service based on the client’s ability to pay. In this model, you create the amount based on a previously established percentage of your maximum and a minimum charge. Proof of revenue is customarily required to benefit from this form of payment. This payment method might seem drastic, but in reality, it is a very fair approach.  - Value-based: the price is based on the estimated value of the service to the client. The base price plus an added cost for a specialization reflects the overall service fee. The experience of the professional might also be considered in this pricing model. For example, your flat rate is 90$/h, but since you specialized in aggression, the cost jumps to 175$/h. 

The difference in price is validated by the risks encountered. Value-based is a very subjective pricing strategy because you must base the value from your perceived worth and not actual market value. Cost-plus and competition-oriented should be established in order to offer the best cost/value for your clients. 

- Cost-plus: the cost price for a session plus a certain percentage. Typically the cost price plus 10% is a standard. To figure out the cost price, you must first calculate ALL your monthly expenses associated with a session: car monthly payments, gas, registration, driver’s license, files, paper, ink, printer, pens, electricity, computer, internet service, cell phone, cell phone provider, rent, heat, insurance, leashes, collars, poop bags, harnesses, etc. 

The amount is then divided to reflect an hourly fee. For example, if the total of the above expenses comes out to 2740$/month (≈ 32 900$/year). Say you plan on working 30h/week; your hourly cost would be 22.83$/h. To this amount, you would add 10%. Therefore, your hourly salary would be 25.66$. 

- Competition-oriented: this method of pricing requires a lot of finger work, aka Googling. The objective is to find out what your competitors are charging and make an average based on those findings. The average price might be on the higher or lower end of the scale, depending on which neighbourhood you live in. Say you find five professionals in your area; you would add their prices and divide by five; therefore, your price would be the result of that average. 

For example, the hourly rate of your five competitors is #1 = 95$, #2 = 87$, #3 = 125$, #4 = 95$, and #5 = 80$. The sum of those prices is four-hundred-eighty-two. Now divide 482/5 and you obtain 96.40; consequently, your hourly rate would be 96$ per hour. 

Dog Trainer Ethical Pricing 
There is no cookie-cutter price for the service industry; as such, I propose you do the following calculation. Shop for prices and do the equation from the competition-oriented model. Then, look at each person’s credentials and see which one offers the best value for your money. You should look for a long list of education opportunities (2) for a reasonable hourly cost. I know it can be a lengthy process, but it is worth the effort in the long run. 

A professional dog trainer should cost you between 70$ and 250$ per hour, depending on their expertise. In my opinion, prices that exceed these costs are abusive and unprofessional. Remember, a psychologist with a Ph.D. earns between 80$ and 130$ per hour. Granted, our four-legged customers bite, but exploiting clients is unethical and unprofessional. 

Cheers,
G.

References: 
- Association des Psychologues du Quebec. Distinction Association/Ordre. Retrieved from https://www.apqc.ca/ May 2019 
- Nagle, T.T., Hogan, J.E., and Zale, J. (2016). The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: New International Edition (5th Edition). Oxford, United Kingdom:    Routledge. 
- Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec. Combien ça coute? Retrieved from https://www.ordrepsy.qc.ca/web/ordre-des-psychologues-du-quebec/combien-ca-coute- May 2019 
- Smith, T.J. (2012). Pricing Strategy: Setting Price Levels, Managing Price Discounts and Establishing Price Structure. OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. 

1 Newly graduated psychology students require a Ph.D. to practice. 
2 Make sure to verify the professional’s credentials.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Job Description
Zootherapy: In my field of work, I call this practice pet the puppy. Most human-dog teams have little to no formal training. People do not implement or document behavioural changes, nor do they have specific goals for their target population. A side product of being in the presence of an animal often results in a feel-good state. This type of service is usually a volunteer position, and the person does not receive monetary compensation for the service. The Quebec legislature does not protect this kind of activity. 

This activity usually consists of a person bringing their animal to an establishment and allow the client to pet their animal. The person brings their animal to sick children, seniors, or people in palliative care. The goal of the contact serves to make the client feel better. Selected dogs are valued if they do not display any negative behaviours. I call these animals carpet dog. 

Animal-Assisted Therapy: Animal-assisted therapy falls under the umbrella term Animal-Assisted-Interventions. Dogs and other species are trained to perform specific behaviours according to the needs of the target clientele. Animals are required to facilitate the intervention process between the therapist and client or help prevent rebound behaviours in vulnerable people. The AAT professional plans specific goals and objectives and receives monetary compensation for the service. The Quebec legislature does not protect this kind of activity. 

The animal-assisted therapy practitioner works with an animal partner. The training process begins during the critical period of social development of the animal. Each field of work will target specific behaviour since each clientele is different. I work with teenagers; consequently, I socialize our dogs to this clientele. 

Emotional Support: The vast majority of people with emotional support dogs do not receive training. Untrained dogs do not serve a purpose other than accompanying a human and most likely, it makes them feel good. Without professional documentation and data collection, it remains unclear what biological, physiological, emotional and behavioural conditions are modified. Most people with an emotional support dog are refused access into establishments. The Quebec legislature does not protect this kind of activity. 

A person brings their dog everywhere to alleviate the symptoms such as anxiety, fear, stress, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder. The role of the animal is unclear, and the vast majority of these dogs are untrained. When I ask the people who e-mail me what they wish their dog to accomplish, they often do not know. 

Service Dog: A service dog provides a service. This type of dog is a highly trained animal that physically helps a human accomplish any given tasks. Some examples are guide dogs, sound dogs (1), physically disabled assistance dogs (2), or military and law enforcement dogs. Dogs can also be trained to detect diabetes or epilepsy; unfortunately, the science behind this practice is still trying to figure out what dogs are detecting and if their behaviour does indeed constitute a service. The Quebec legislature does protect this type of activity. 

The person with a service dog needs the animal to accomplishing tasks they cannot do on their own; as a result, the dog accompanies them everywhere. The training of a service dog is often lengthy and costly; therefore, the vast majority of service dogs come from non-profit companies organizations. The cost of a real service dog costs over ten thousand dollars. Yes, 10000.00$+. 

A Social Problem 
There is a rise in fraudulent service dogs everywhere in the country. People who claim their untrained dogs as a service animal pose a direct problem to people who are legitimately disabled and need their animal partner to accompany them everywhere. 

There are a few reasons why I do not train service dogs for other people. First, people buy a puppy thinking any dog can become a service dog. That is simply false; most dogs do not make it through the training process. Second, the cost. People do not want to pay upwards of ten to twenty thousand dollars for the training of their dog that might ultimately fail. Finally, it is time-consuming to train service dogs. There needs to be an adjustment period where trainers and clientswork together to transfer skills once the dog finishes its training. 

My team and I trained the animals in our animal-assisted therapy program; consequently, I know and trust these animals because they grew up in the presence of the very teens with which we work. One can now see why incorporating a stranger’s dog into the Dogue Shop’s animal-assisted therapy program is merely impossible. 

Cheers,
G.

References: 
- C-12 - Charter of human rights and freedoms. Part I: Human Rights and Freedoms; Chapter I: Fundamental Freedoms and Rights; Chapter I.1: Article 10. Retrieved from http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/ShowDoc/cs/C-12 May 2019 

- Fine, A. H. (Ed.). (2010). Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (3rd ed.). San Diego, CA, US: Elsevier Academic Press. 

- Parenti, L., Foreman, A., Meade, B. J., & Wirth, O. (2013). A revised taxonomy of assistance animals. Journal of rehabilitation research and development, 50(6), 745–756. doi:10.1682/JRRD.2012.11.0216 

1 Dogs trained to signal phone, alarm, fire alarm, and other sounds relevant to the person. 
2 Dogs trained to pick up objects, fetch medication, or help with mobility.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

I get many e-mails from people proposing their dog as an animal-assisted therapy partner in our programs. I also receive multiple messages each month from people who ask me to train their new puppy for emotional support. I do neither, and the following article explains why. Please note, I wrote this article from a Canadian perspective. 

Definitions 
Dogs cannot be made into a working partner just because someone decided to. Out of every ten dogs born, one might make it as a service or therapy work partner. Yes, training is an essential component, but it is by far the only one. Dogs have genes and temperament of their own, and humans absolutely cannot change these characteristics. Before I can answer the question “Will my dog be good at…” I must first answer what does the job description require; consequently, the following definitions serve to clarify the differences between a service dog, zootherapy, animal-assisted therapy, and emotional support are. 

Zootherapy: Not found in the Oxford dictionary; Merriam-Webster: veterinary therapeutics; Collins: 1. Medicine - the use of therapeutic drugs derived from animals, 2. Psychology - a type of therapy that uses animals. 

The English use of zootherapy does not mean the same as the French definition. In English, the term zootherapy refers to the use of a medicine or treatment made from animals, i.e. glucosamine made from shark cartilage or omega supplements made from salmon oil. In French, they use the word as an umbrella term to define pretty much anything that involves an animal. When professionals incorporate animals into their human science practice, we refer to the process as animal-assisted therapy. 

Animal-Assisted Therapy: Not found in the Oxford dictionary; Not found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary; Not found in the Collins dictionary; Wikipedia - Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an alternative or complementary type of therapy that involves animals as a form of treatment. 

When I conduct AAT programs, I often become a professional within a multi-disciplinary team such as social workers, psychologists, and specialized educators. The Dogue Shop’s program includes parents, teachers, and the school principal. Everyone collaborates in order to achieve specific goals and objectives such as communication, attachment, self-esteem, and self-awareness. 

Emotional Support: Not found in the Oxford dictionary; Not found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary; Not found in the Collins dictionary; Wikipedia: An emotional support animal (ESA), assistance animal, or support animal, is a companion animal that a medical professional says provides some benefit for a person disabled by a mental health condition or emotional disorder. 

The above definition is not present in the federal government legislature because Canada does not have a disability act. Each province is required to stipulate their position on the matter of assistance and service dogs. In Quebec, therapy animals are not covered by the legislature; therefore, the establishment a person wishes to enter with their dog has the right to say no. The only two service dogs protected by the Quebec provincial legislature are visual and autism assistance dogs (C-12, 1975). Other service dogs fall under Article 10 and are subject to interpretation by law enforcement. Cases are assessed one-by-one. 

Service Dog: Oxford: An animal, typically a dog, that has been trained to assist a person who has a disability; Merriam-Webster: a dog trained to assist a person with a disability; Collins: a dog that has been specially trained to live with and accompany a disabled person, carrying out such tasks as prompting them to take medication or assisting them to cross a road 

As mentioned above, visual and autism assistance dogs have the constitutional right to enter establishments and use public services. Other service dogs are covered by Article 10; however, they must get a medical recommendation for the service animal. Most of the following are accepted conditions: auditory impaired, visually, autism, physically impaired, and certain mental illnesses. Psychologists can diagnose mental illnesses; however, psychiatrists are medical professionals who can prescribe medication.

To be continued next week.

Cheers,
G.

By Gaby Dufrense-Cyr, CBT-FLE

I have not written in a while because I am very busy with the Dogue Shop, university classes, promoting the book, and raising a Broholmer puppy. All that said, there is a topic on my mind I wish to share with you. Too many people impose themselves into our dogs’ space to pet them, and these same people get angry when we tell them no. If you are one of those people, please read on carefully. If you respect others' space and retreat when dogs pass by, I commend and thank you. 

Unrealistic Expectations 
Humans expect dogs to behave flawlessly in any and every type of social situation. Well, guess what, people are unable to achieve that social norm themselves. Dogs are animals, and although our canine companions talk, most people do not understand dog language; consequently, our role as responsible animal caregivers is to translate for our dogs. When people ask if they can pet Hariette and I answer no, people tell me I am rude, and that is why my dog is fearful. Uhhh, what kind of logic is that? 

Frequently, people reach out and try to force themselves on our dogs to pet them, and I am here to tell you, this HAS to stop! First, how do people come up with the idea they can touch dogs whenever and wherever they want? By human standards, that is considered an assault. Secondly, do people not see most dogs do NOT want to be touched by random strangers? By human standards, that forceful behaviour is considered harassment. Thirdly, when someone tells you do not touch or pet my dog, there is a reason. Just continue on your journey and let us be. By human standards, that is the most respectful and courteous thing to do. Not all dogs are created equal. 

Insecure Fearful, Insecure Aggressive and Confident Aggressive Dogs 
There is no right or wrong reason why dogs do not want to interact socially. Some dogs are fearful and some are aggressive, just like people. There are three types of possible reactions in social situations involving dogs: they want to leave, they want you to leave, or they want to fight. 

- Insecure-fearful dogs will try to remove themselves from an unpleasant situation because they are afraid. The emotional response, in this case, is fear. For fearful dogs, strangers forcing themselves into their critical space (I will define this below) is considered unpleasant, hence the fearful reaction. The problem, from the dogs’ point of view, is that they are tethered to us and cannot effectively retreat. These situations increase their social fears and entertain the emotional response. 

- Insecure-aggressive dogs manage their social encounter with different emotions. Dogs who are insecure-aggressive want an unpleasant situation to go away, and they will be very adamant about making that happen. In these cases, the underlying emotion is anger, expressed as an aggressive response. There is no such thing as a fear bitter since fear and anger are opposite emotions and require a different set of chemicals to be expressed by the brain. 

- Confident-aggressive dogs are just that, confident. Such dogs might want to interact socially or not, it all depends on how they feel at that specific moment in that particular situation. Note that the situation can change in a fraction of a second. Confident-aggressive dogs are pleasant until they are not. It is touch-and-go with them. 

Critical Spaces 
All three categories of responses are problematic for dogs when they are outside in public situations. Fortunately, there is a simple concept every human can adhere to; it is called critical space. Humans have a critical space; it is called intimate space. The critical space of a dog varies based on its size (see image). Think of it as an invisible bubble around them that ensures self-preservation. The social space protects the dog's critical space. It is the tampon area between critical and public space and serves to evaluate possible incoming conflict. 

Take a moment to think about all this. Would you like a strange to come up to you unannounced and stroke your hair and say “you’re so cute; I just want to cuddle with you,” I guess not, so why do people force themselves into unfamiliar dogs’ critical spaces? I have a few ideas about why, but I will keep that for another article.

What I can say about people forcing themselves into and onto a dog is that it is dangerous and irresponsible. In Montreal, should the dog bite out of self-preservation because a person forced himself/herself onto a dog, city officials will most likely euthanize the dog. The municipal ruling means your irresponsible gesture has cost the dog’s life and created a traumatic event for the owner.

Effective Solutions 
When you see a dog, open the space around it and ask the person if you can pet the dog. Keep in mind, the answer can be no, and if you are offended by the negative response, some soul searching needs to take place on your part. Dogs are not universal properties. My dogs are my working partners that benefit many lives. If something happens to my dogs, I can no longer work, and the students in our animal-assisted therapy programs would suffer the consequences. Our dogs are our responsibility, and we need to make sure they avoid harm from others. So, one thing needs to be very clear, if we need to be rude and unpleasant because you are forcing yourself onto our dogs, so be it, we will bark at you and bare our teeth. 

If you are on the receiving end of the leash, please use the hashtag #MyDogToo in the comments. You can do so anonymously when you comment, so no worries, we will not know who you are. The idea is to raise awareness by showing readers just how many pet caregivers are harassed by strangers. 

Cheers.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

I get daily emails and private messages about dog deaths within the same household. You can read when or why dogs kill other dogs here and here. The articles discuss some of the more common reasons canines kill dogs they were living with for some time. Today, I want to add a very important notion about dogs you might not know. I am referring to the invisible spaces that govern non-verbal behaviour. 

Canine Spaces 
Dogs live under one rule: live to see another day. Consequently, dogs evolve under invisible spaces that serve to protect and keep them alive. The three spaces have names and functions, which, I will describe in a minute. First, I want to establish dogs are not pack animals. They are not wolves; therefore, dogs do NOT function socially like wolves. Yes, canids share behavioural similarities, but they all evolve in different niches. Dogs evolve in a niche that does not require cooperation to hunt; consequently, dogs are solitary animals that come together for specific needs but do not live together. 

Second, humans created dogs for humans, not other dogs. The human-dog social bond outranks the dog-dog social attraction. Many scientific experiments demonstrate that dogs follow human cues more easily than their wild counterparts do. Dogs actually seek assistance from humans, not other dogs, to solve problems. The proof is in the pudding, when the ball rolls under the sofa, my dog asks me for help, not my other dog.

Back to the topic. The three spaces are critical, social, and public. The red circle represents my dog Albear. The critical space is in light blue. It is calculated from the tip of the dog’s nose to the end of its back, excluding the tail and projects outward all around the dog, just like an invisible bubble. The yellow space is the social space and it stretches outward from the dog to approximately 150’, which is 45.7m in metric. Finally, the public space of a dog extends to approximately 1.5 miles or 2.4km. 

Reasons for Communication 
Dogs have adapted their language to accommodate these distances. Their language evolved to fill in the gaps, so to speak. Think about it for a minute. If you were far away from a friend and tried to signal her with your eyes I'm over here! would your friend see you? Most likely not. You would need a bigger signal like a fully extended arm waving in her direction. Conversely, if you are next to each other, the arm signal will appear out of context; therefore, you will make a small signal, say from your eyebrows, to signify follow me. 

Dogs have adapted their language in the same manner. If a dog perceives a conflict at the extremity of his social space, breaking eye contact will not work. At a far distance, the dog needs to adapt his communication. In this case, he would likely lower his tail and ears. If the dogs are next to each other, breaking eye contact is more appropriate. To summarise, big signals, aka behaviours, communicate information to far away dogs while small signals communicate information up close. 

Dog Overcrowded Households 
You probably realized while reading that a house can become overcrowded with two or more dogs, especially if the dwelling is small and the dogs are large. For an untrained eye, dogs might seem to live in harmony, yet as a professional, I see dogs displaying displacement behaviours, stress signals, agonistic postures, and so on. Silent conflicts often take place in front of humans, but when people are absent, dogs settle their unresolved quarrels and conflict resolution frequently leads to death. If you have a strong stomach, watch this video (very graphic, but not gruesome). It will give you an excellent understanding of how silent conflicts can occur in front of your eyes, and how powerless we are to solve them. Then, imagine all this occurring while you stepped out.

The best way to avoid overcrowding is to evaluate the size of the house, dogs, and the history of the animals. Dogs that have had past conflicts, with an injury history, are more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviours again and most likely with an escalating response. The following image demonstrates the space required for two medium-sized dogs to coexist comfortably. This means each room the dogs find themselves in would need to be minimally 6’ by 12’ or 1.8m by 3.7m. A two-bedroom house surface would have to be no less than 1152ft2 (ft2 = square feet) or 107m2 (m2 = square meters). These measurements only refer to critical spaces, ideally, dogs would require a house that covers their social space needs. That would make for a very BIG house; actually, it represents a 22 500ft2 or 2090.3m2 building. 

Last Considerations 
Before you embark on a journey that involves multiple dogs in your house, please consider their space requirements. For each comment I receive on the articles mentioned in the introduction, I receive two emails about unnecessary deaths. Approximately a quarter of the people who write to me have witnessed the death of their beloved pets. These traumas are lifelong lasting and most cases end with the death of the attacker/s, so in reality, two or more dogs have died because of overcrowding. If you watched the video, you now know you will never be fast enough to curb the death of a dog nor could you stop the attack. The average time it takes dogs to kill animals smaller than themselves is approximately 3-5 seconds. Yes, seconds. Canines are very efficient predators; never forget that, and never assume My dog would never do that! Avoid dog overcrowding through prevention, for it remains by far the best medication.

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

I didn’t think I would have to write about breed-specific legislation, aka BSL, so soon after Montreal reversed the BSL by-laws forbidding certain breeds. So, why am I writing? Because the provincial government wants to pass a province-wide ban on breeds, and dogs you didn’t think would be targeted, are. 

As such, all Staffordshire terriers, Bull terriers, Rottweiler, and eventually Huskies, German Shepherd, and all northern breeds and mixes of those breeds will not be allowed to reside in the province. Think about that for a moment, look at your dog or your friends’ dogs, and tell me without any doubt you can guarantee the breed/s of your mixed dog. Genetic tests can’t even prove your dog is a specific breed, let alone a combination of breeds.

When you stop to think about it, assessing dog breeds based on looks is equivalent to trying to identify the real Tom Cruise from his look-a-like. Unless you know who their parents are, there's no way we can differentiate them. When I assess a dog, I'm guessing which breeds were its parents, and contrary to what you might hear, nobody can identify the genetic makeup of a breed based on looks. 

Veterinarians will be obliged to identify breeds visually and assess their dangerousness. If your pure bread or mixed dog is classified as dangerous, regardless of circumstances, it can be sold to research facilities or laboratories that conduct animal testing. Yes, you read that right. The provincial government wants to end your precious pet’s life in the most horrific way possible: torture. 

The most concerning thing about Bill 128 is that it’s written to bypass Bill 54 which declared dogs and other animals as sentient begins. So, on one hand, our dogs are sentient beings, but on the other hand, they can be disposed of and tortured at will. If you are not outraged, you should be.

I will make this blog brief. Contact your representative and politely tell them what you think of Bill 128 and their disposable dog law. Use every social and print media you can think of to protest and say we do not want this law because ALL dogs are at risk. ALL dogs in these images are at risk.

Below is the link to Bill 128, read it, get informed, tell your veterinarian because they don’t know, tell your family, friends, and finally, get your dogs genetically tested, even if unreliable, it’s all you've got should you need it in court one day.

Cheers.
G.

Proposed Bill 128

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr

The rescue industry has a new source of dogs. Big rescue organizations go to South Korea or the Philippines and bring back canines destined to be on a restaurant or on the home menu. Some dogs come from the street while others are family pets stolen and sold for human food. This might seem like an honourable cause, yet a few reasons tell us it’s a bad idea. 

Today’s news headline is one of those reasons. The first case of dog influenza has been confirmed, and the dogs in question come from the latest seizure made in South Korea; most likely, they are the canines who were destined to be eaten, but the story doesn’t tell. In my opinion, the coincidence is too obvious to be a random occurrence. Rescues are directly contributing to the spread of diseases. Plus, what right does one culture have to tell another culture what they can or cannot eat?

Another reason to not import dogs from other countries relates to population control. Most of the worldwide dog population lives as free-roaming or feral animals. The vast majority survive by eating trash and a few handouts from tourists. When feral dogs reproduce, puppies are pushed away from the immediate environment because there’s not enough food to sustain an entire family. Once the 4-month-old puppies leave, natural selection controls populations. Dogs die from famine, diseases, or accidents. When rescues pull out litters, what they don’t see are dogs breeding to fill the now empty niche. Rescues are actually contributing to the problem; they are not solving the overcrowded worldwide dog population crisis.

My pet peeve is the actual, or should I say factual, problem feral dog populations pose to urban societies. When rescues pull dogs out of their environment, they are not prepared for our climate or environment. Most of these animals live on the street and are poorly socialized to live in such close proximity to one another. Serious behaviour problems are common in imported dogs. Furthermore, local human populations from those countries are not educated as to why sterilization should be a priority, or why sanitary living conditions or breeding should be mandatory. 

Finally, rescues should focus on dogs that need help within our borders. Quebec euthanizes approximately 500 000 dogs per year. I believe we have more than enough adoptable dogs in Canada without having the need to fly halfway across the world to get ill or socially maladapted animals. I believe we need to educate, not perpetrate. What do you think? 

Cheers.
G.

UPDATE:
Wednesday, January 10, 2018 -- The dogs in this story that imported from South Korea came from an organization in the USA. Please follow the link to read their statement. 

References:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cases-of-canine-influenza-confirmed-in-southern-ontario-1.3750865 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/confirmed-case-canine-influenza-essex-1.4477588
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/south-korea-dog-rescue-flu-canada-1.4480058

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Many dog trainers use lures to train dogs. Lures are most often food, but they can be toys or even safety. There are multiple reasons to use lures, but the most common motive is to teach new behaviours. I don’t use lures to teach new behaviours and you will read why in the following paragraphs. 

Lure Definition 
The Oxford dictionary defines lures as something that tempts or is used to tempt a person or animal to do something. The lure can be any primary need such as food, water, safety, sex (yes sex), social contact, thermoregulation (environmental temperatures), etc. In essence, a lure is anything the dog wants. Oftentimes, food is used as a lure. 

Lure Pros & Cons 
The following reasons are not an exhaustive list, but it does convey the main reasons for or against lure training. Furthermore, this is my list and doesn’t represent the entire Dogue Shop students or staff’s reasons to lure or not to lure. For my part, I can honestly say, I’m a lure-free trainer. 

Pros: 

- Speed: lures allow dog trainers to capture behaviours faster. 

- Efficacy: lures produce a desired or intended result. 

- Learning: models the dog into a behaviour. 

Cons: 

- Efficacy: unreliable if the lure is not faded out immediately. 

- Learning: doesn’t allow for problem-solving skills to develop. 

- Confusion: lures are cues and rewards at the same time. 

- Generalisation: We can’t lure exotic animals into behaviours. 

Why I Don’t Use Lures to Train Dogs 
Lures can, and often do, become crutches. When lures are not faded out in the initial capturing sequence, they become difficult to eliminate later on in the training process. I know many renowned dog trainers promote the use of lures because it’s easy, and there lies problem number one. I believe luring is lazy training because lures don’t teach dogs how to think and problem solve. Problem number two is co-dependency, which develops when trainers use lures.

It’s too easy to go back to luring when dogs don’t respond to the cue, and with time, the lures lose their efficacy and behaviour deteriorates. The third problem is found within the definition. The word tempt means to present a desirable stimulus (primary need) to someone (or an animal), but not give it to them in the hopes they exhibit the desired behaviour. The animal might not exhibit the desirable behaviour, thus, the trainer will repeat the lure sequence. 

Problem number four is, to me, the most compelling reason why I don’t use lures. Exotic animals can kill us if we bribe them, and in my practice, if I cannot use a technique with all animal species, then I’m not using it with our dogs. Lure trainers argue dogs are not exotic so we can lure them, it’s easier. It might seem easier (that is totally debatable) or faster, but I prefer to take my time and teach animals how to problem-solve and think for themselves, and that includes dogs. 

Dog Social-Cognitive Learning Theory 
If you think social-cognitive learning is just about imitation, then you do not understand social learning. Learning to learn is the foundation of social-cognitive learning theory, and let me tell you when you learn how to use the theory, your animal will present you with behaviours you never thought were possible. 

Social learning is easier and faster than luring, but to see the process, dog trainers must allow new ideas to take root. The same applies to exotic animals. Wolves that learn how to learn will offer new behaviours faster, their behaviours will be more reliable, and the outcome will be a deepened bond. Finally, social learning requires A1 capturing and shaping skills, which when compared to luring might take a tad longer, but in the end, the animal will outperform a lure trained dog.

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Umwelt is pronounced o͝omvelt and is defined as the world as it is experienced by a particular organism. For the sake of this article, we will discuss the canine Umwelt or the world as it’s experienced by the dog. Why address this particular topic? Because you will vote on November 5th and I feel it’s important you know why you should not vote for the current mayor. 

The Dog’s experience of the World 
The dog experiences the world in a very different way when compared to humans. First, dog vision isn’t their go-to sensory organ. I’m sure you already knew that, but most humans tend to forget because our Umwelt relies strongly on vision. Second, the dog’s sense of smell offers a dimension we cannot even begin to understand as people. Dogs can taste smells…. What?! Yes, dogs can taste odours through their vomeronasal organ located behind their incisor teeth on the upper jaw. Thirdly, dogs can hear high-pitched sounds much better than we can. In this way, dogs complement humans. 

You can see how different sensory intake modifies your perception of the world. Dogs cannot see red, yet for humans, red is an eye-catching colour, which requires attention. What is obvious to you is imperceptible for your dog and vice versa. My dog can smell high cortisol levels in other dogs (and people) and will react strongly to the olfactory trigger. I, on the other hand, am left in total darkness. 

Emotional Umwelt 
Dogs experience emotions. That too, I’m sure you already knew. What you might not know is that dogs have a bigger limbic system or smaller frontal lobes, it depends on your point of view, which means dogs react very strongly to emotional triggers. I always say dogs don’t talk with flowers, they talk with teeth. When dogs are unhappy or scared, they want the negative experience to go away, and canines will do whatever it takes to make that happen NOW. The opposite is also true. When dogs experience joy, they will do whatever it takes to make the joyful event occur again. 

We, humans, tend to stay with our negative emotions for way too long. Some people repeatedly recite negative emotions throughout the day. The negative emotions should have been addressed while they occurred, not three days later. Plus, when we get upset, it takes all the energy we have to say stop, I don't like this, and when we finally do, we tend to sugar coat it. We are a strange species that way. I think we can take a few life lessons from dogs and deal with our emotions as they unravel. 

Why Vote Projet Montréal 
Why a political paragraph in a dog article? Because the current mayor has disrupted the dog Umwelt, and in doing so, has disrupted our experience of life too. When we make decisions about our lives, it’s important to keep Umwelt in mind. What do we want to experience as collective humanity? What do we want for our dogs and cats? Why should you care about politics? The answer is simple because a world experienced by a collective group should be a positive one. 

My duty to my dog and myself is to demand our leaders care about us and all the experiences we chose to have within that collectivity. I think there’s room for public safety laws and dog ownership, regardless of the breed. When you hit the polls, and god knows I hope you do it in large numbers, consider Umwelt as your life experience, and how you can control the outcome through politics. If anything, look at all the unnecessary money spent, that alone should be a green light for a change. This time around, I propose we try a woman as our leader. Valérie Plante, from Projet Montréal, is my choice because she cares about our and our dogs' Umwelt. If you don't know who Valérie Plante is, follow this link. I guarantee you, she will make Montréal the best experience of our collective world.

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

If you haven’t heard the news already, Raymond Copping died on August 14th at the age of 80. Ray left his family, friends, dog professionals, colleagues, researchers, and students too soon if you ask me. If you didn’t know Ray, you certainly missed out on a wonderful person and scientist. We exchanged on and off throughout the years. Sometimes we talked about dogs, OK, we mostly talked about dogs, but oftentimes we talked about life and our experience of it. This piece is for him. 

The First Time I Met Ray Coppinger 

I first met Ray was in 2003. I say first because I met him a second time for the first time, in person that is, later the same year. I was scheduled to translate his weekend conference on the evolution of dogs, so we met online first. The topic covered his then-popular book: Dogs. We exchanged messages back and forth on terminology and evolution concepts to help me master the content and offer a high-quality translation. 

When we talked over the phone, our conversations often ended off-topic. Ray and I would talk about our lives, our dogs’ lives, and our role in it. He would ask me complex questions that made me think. The hardest question he asked during those discussions was Why did you wait so long? He asked the question not for him but for me. He wanted me to reflect on why I had waited so long to live my passion. I would later discover, Ray always wanted me to think, and at that, he succeeded. 

The Second First Time I met Ray Coppinger 

The second time I met Ray, it was for the actual weekend conference. When we met, it felt more like a reunion than a meeting. Needless to say, we hit it off. I meet Lorna, his wife, and the three of us talked about a lot of stuff during that weekend, OK we mostly talked about dogs. We discovered our mutual fondness for wolves, dogs, beer, writing, and storytelling. When the weekend ended, it was hard to say goodbye. 

We parted knowing we would stay in contact, but somehow, it didn’t make it any easier. When I got home that night, I felt changed inside. Ray had that superpower, you know, the one where he transforms into a little bug that crawls into your brain and makes you think and do things. He also had the freeze superpower. People would go about their business and Ray would say something outrageous that made everybody freeze and look at him. I will miss that the most. 

Ray Coppinger – Life Changer 

The last fourteen years have been a blessing, and thanks to Ray’s persistent recommendation, I met an awesome group of wolf people. I don’t go to Wolf Park as often as I wish I could, but when I do, I remember Ray’s voice Go to Wolf Park! as I enter the premises. You never know the impact you have on someone’s life until it’s often too late. Ray has certainly changed my life. Wolf Park has also greatly influenced who I am, and I’ll make sure to tell them one by one. 

Ray sent regular emails to check on me. He would drop a one-liner like What are you doing now? Explain the universe in 200 words, and my all-time favourite, Tell me a story. I would write elaborate stories about my life with a different theme each time. Sometimes, Ray gave me a grade. The following is an excerpt from a 2016 email. 

Ray, 

I love your e-mails. Your few words make me laugh and think at the same time, not an easy feat when it comes to these two responses of mine. 

What am I doing now? 

In the realm of once upon a time, a beautiful princess lived in a time where fast-paced lives and stress-ridden bodies ruled the land. The princess told a story which to this day is remembered by all. In a time not so long ago, there was much ado about a native sorceress who could talk to the mighty Adlet. The sorceress was already juggling multiple employments when the mythical creature came and tried to persuade the sorceress to bestow upon humanity the book of languages. 

The task was a destitute attempt to merge incompatible ideologies, or so it seemed. On one hand, the sorceress knew the codex would change the kingdom forever. On the other hand, she knew the time would only accelerate once she found herself taken by the manuscript. 

In this kingdom, the speed at which time passed was not the same as in other worlds. The writing of such a codex meant certain banquets would be omitted. Saddened was the hag. Her desires were not congruent with her heart's desires. The manipulation of time was beyond her powers and to make du with the devil's request would require a change in her almanac. 

The native sorceress took on the task and began the composition of Adlet's prose. To this day, the sorceress still implores the mighty powers above to slow down time or decapitate slayers who, to the king's profit, kill time passages and replace them with false ideological pretences. 

To which Ray answered, amongst other things, Gaby -- great essay -- I can just see that "native girl."

Other messages were more personal in nature and most often revolved around writing. I remember telling Ray about my crazy idea. Little ole me, a dyslexic person, wanted to write a book. He thought it was a marvellous idea and never made me forget. I’m almost done with the book and wish I could have given him a copy. He knew what the topic is about and one day, when you read it, you’ll know why his encouragement was a blessing. I learned one thing from Ray and it’s never, ever, think within the box. For that life lesson, I’m forever grateful. 

Blessings From Above 

A few years ago Ray broke his leg pretty bad. I remember our discussion as if it were yesterday. He started the conversation with his freeze superpower one-liner You owe me another zoo jacket! Obviously, I went What?! He told me about the ordeal and I cried, sometimes of laughter, sometimes of sadness. That event wasn’t easy for him. 

In retrospect, Ray was the kind of person you only meet once in a lifetime. He was a genuine human being who cared about people and animals. He loved to read about dogs but loved to write about them even more. He is, was a generous and kind scientist who cared about research and what each person could bring to the table. He was also compassionate when it came to my stories and rants. 

My students have heard me talk about Ray over the years; I just hope they got to know him a little through me. I will miss his encouragement and dedication to my passion, our passion. I will miss his emails, his lists of people to contact, his writings, his knowledge, but most of all his contagious desire to educate. They say what goes around comes around, Ray certainly made sure of that. 

If you didn’t know Ray…………... the only thing that comes to mind is sucks to be you!

Cheers.
G.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

As more and more people discover social cognitive learning theory (SCT), I’m reminded just how slow the dog training and behaviour industry evolve. I practice and teach social learning on a regular basis. Actually, I’ve been writing about SCT for over a decade now. Although people claim social learning is new, rest assured, it’s not. The science of imitation in the form of Do As I Do (DAID) has been around since the 50s. 

Social Learning Brief History 
Once upon time, two scientists by the name of Keith Hayes and Catherine Hayes did a research on a chimpanzee's ability to imitate (Hayes and Hayes, 1952). In their paper, the researches mention their chimp learned the rule of imitation and would copy a signal after the request “Do this”. From then on, the Do As I Do protocol was born. More recently, advances in dog imitation come from Ádám Miklósi’s leading team of researchers, more specifically, Claudia Fugazza (2014, 2015). For those who don't know, Claudia gave a weekend seminar at the Dogue Shop during the summer of 2017.

Social Learning Experience
My experience with SCT via imitation proves to be the fastest, most efficient training approach, and proves to be a wonderful complement to other training methods. Eleven years ago, I foretold my clients and students SCT would revolutionise dog training. It does. Science finally caught up, and we are happy the Dogue Shop school is leading the way. Every other day, Albear and I  work on a special SCT project and will share info once available.

Meanwhile, We use SCT to teach many aspects of behaviour varying from emotional control to cognition, trust, and attachment. Because social learning requires cognition and memory, certain dogs will outperform others. That should not come as a surprise. The environment is also a predictor of learning; therefore, we modify space as needed to facilitate animal learning. 

The side effects to SCT are resilience and fatigue, the good kind. I’ve talked about social learning and resilience in the past, so if you follow my blog you know what I’m talking about. Resilience serves to heighten emotional threshold, which allows dogs to evolve in their environment as best as they possibly can. DAID will help us achieve that prerogative, faster and more efficiently.

Future of Dog Social Learning
Social learning will not replace behaviourism; it will complement it. With my experience, I foresee other learning theories, which will benefit dog training in the next decade, hopefully the sooner the better. People need better human intervention strategies, clients need a less expensive and time consuming training method, and dogs need clarity and direction from people, not commands and reprimands. 

The future of dog training will change in the next ten years, and I’m very excited to see other trainers and schools embark on the social learning bandwagon. Until then, I’ll keep you posted on new learning theories which will undoubtedly change the forthcoming decade. 

Cheers.
G.

Reference

- Fugazza, C. (2014). Social learning and imitation in dogs (Canis familiaris). Doctoral Thesis. Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Science Doctoral, Hungary. 

- Fugazza, C. and, Miklósi, Á. (2015). Social learning in dog training: The effectiveness of the Do as I do method compared to shaping/clicker training. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.08.033 

- Hayes, K. and Hayes, C. (1952). Imitation in a Home-raised Chimpanzee. Journal of comparative and physiological psychology. Vol. 45, 5.  pp. 450-459 doi: 10.1037/h0053609