Genetics of Dog Coat Colors

Resources for those who are interested in this topic:

Dog Coat Colour Genetics by Jess Chappell (beginner-friendly yet comprehensive website)

Dog Coat Colors by Stefanie Henneböhl (another beginner-friendly yet comprehensive website, with excellent photo examples)

Canine coat pigmentation genetics: a review, published 09 November 2021, with corrections published 05 May 2022, by L. Brancalion, B. Haase, C. M. Wade in Animal Genetics (thorough, science-y overview of the current understanding as of early 2022)

Dog colour patterns explained by modular promoters of ancient canid origin, published 12 August 2021, by Danika L. Bannasch et al, in Nature Ecology & Evolution (research into ASIP that updates our understanding of the A locus)

• VP1-HCP1: Dominant Yellow (“clear sable”)

• VP2-HCP1: Shaded Yellow (“shaded shable”)

• VP1-HCP2: ? (presumably a lighter or saddle agouti?)

• VP2-HCP2: Agouti (“agouti”)

• VP1-HCP3 or HCP5: ? (presumably black saddle?)

• VP1-HCP4: Black Saddle (“saddle tan,” associated with 0-1 copies of RALY)

• VP2-HCP3 or HCP4 or HCP5: Black Back (“black and tan,” associated with 2 copies of RALY)

True Colors: Commercially-acquired morphological genotypes reveal hidden allele variation among dog breeds, informing both trait ancestry and breed potential, published 28 October 2019, by Dayna L. Dreger et al, in PLOS ONE (reveals frequency of coat genes in many dog breeds)

Allele Frequencies in True Colors study, Dreger 2019 (excel spreadsheet summarizing the data from the study above, for quick reference)

Coat Color and Genetics (a friendly Facebook group where people can post pictures of dogs or other animals and get information on what the underlying coat genetics are)

Fence Fighting

Fence fighting is a common term for the phenomenon of dogs hearing or seeing each other through a fence, pen, or gate, and aggressively lunging and barking. It is a form of “barrier frustration,” which can also occur when dogs are on leash, in a car, or looking out a window. The underlying reason may be that the dogs are anxious about each other, or very excited, or a combination of both, but are restricted by the barrier between them and so act out in a frustrated, even aggressive manner.

There are several reasons that this behavior is problematic for us humans:

• The resulting noise can irritate neighbors, especially if it’s happening frequently or during “quiet hours.”

• It can be just as annoying for the owners of the dogs in question.

• It often goes hand-in-hand with leash reactivity (barking and lunging while on leash).

• It encourages over-aroused greetings toward other dogs even when off leash.

• It can scare passing dogs, especially puppies, and cause them to become leash reactive or anxious during walks.

• It can be dangerous to interrupt your dog when he is really going at it - some dogs will redirect and bite someone pulling them away from the fence.

The plan below will teach your dog how to be calm and ignore other dogs (or humans) behind a fence, gate, or pen. It can also be adapted for dogs who are reactive behind windows or in the car.

Management

The first step of any training plan is management - arranging things to prevent your dog from rehearsing the unwanted behavior when you’re not ready for training. Use the following strategies as applicable to your situation.

• Don’t let your dog into the backyard without supervision. (This may require locking the dog door.)

• If the fence fighting it happening with a specific neighbor dog, talk to your neighbor about a way to keep the dogs from being outside at the same time. For example, your dog can be out during even hours (eg 8:00 - 8:59 am, 10:00-10:59 am, and so on) and their dog is out during odd hours (eg 9:00-9:59 am, 11:00-11:59 am, etc). Or you could text each other, or use some sort of flagging system to let the other neighbor know that one of the dogs is out.

• Set up an “airlock” or “no man’s land” in front of the problematic area of the fence, so that your dog can’t get all the way up to the fence. This extra space will greatly decrease the intensity of your dog’s fence fighting, which will make training easier.

• Take your dog into the yard only on leash, so that he can’t get to the fence.

• Set up an alternate yard for your dog. For example, you can take your dog to the front yard instead, keeping him on leash, on a longer tether, or making a temporary fence using exercise pens.

Training Exercises

With management in place to prevent fence fighting most of the time, you can now set aside time to do training exercises when it’s convenient for you. You’ll need to have high value treats or toys to reward your dog.

• Start with simple counter-conditioning: every time that you hear the other dog moving around behind the fence, or see them through it, you immediately hand your dog a treat or play with a toy.

  • Make sure that your dog FIRST notices the other dog, and THEN you hand him a treat or play. The trigger comes to PREDICT the good stuff.

  • If your dog immediately starts to bark or lunge, you need to change the situation to help him be calmer. The most reliable way to do this is to move farther away from the fence.

  • If your dog eats the treat but then starts to get worked up (staring, freezing, hackles up, whining, huffing, pacing), you should move farther away, but also consider scattering the treats on the ground instead of just handing him one. Scatters are calming and help take a dog’s mind off the trigger.

  • Keep your sessions short and practice throughout the day.

• When your dog is expecting the treat every time he sees/hears the other dog - he looks at you with happy anticipation - switch to using the Engage-Disengage Game: let your dog notice the other dog (“engage”), wait, and reward your dog when he looks away (“disengage”).

  • Here is a lovely graphic from Alice Tong that explains the Engage-Disengage Game in detail.

  • If you prefer learning via video, here is one from Charleston Animal Society explaining how to teach this exercise, and here is another one from Bravo Dog Training & Behaviour.

  • If you see that your dog is starting to get worked up (staring, freezing, hackles up, whining, huffing, pacing), you should distract him to help him disengage from the trigger. Then move farther away.

  • If your dog is happily glancing toward the other dog and then back at you, congrats! He is learning to play the training game rather than fence fight. You can move closer to the fence.

Transitioning to normal life

Start encouraging your dog to do other activities while in the yard, such as sniffing around, chewing, sunbathing, and playing on their own. You can encourage sniffing by scattering kibble/treats, or by setting out items with new smells (eg, leaves or dirt from a park or a friend’s yard, fur or feathers from other animals). For chews, see the recommendations in this article on enrichment. Bring out a new toy (or one your dog hasn’t seem in a while) and let him go to town.

You can reward your dog for choosing to settle on his own:

You should continue to take training treats or toys outside for an extended period of time, so that you can still reward your dog for calmly noticing activity outside the fence. Over time, you can give treats/toys less frequently, but taper the rewards instead of stopping cold turkey.

Don’t leave your dog in the yard unsupervised until you see that he is truly reliable at reacting calmly, even when the rewards are infrequent.

When mistakes happen

In an ideal situation, your dog never rehearses barking or lunging toward the fence again. He is prevented from doing it using management in between training sessions, you’re practicing the training exercises successfully, and he quickly learns to calmly ignore the other dog and do his own thing. Realistically, there are going to be “oopsies.”

When your does end up charging the fence and barking:

• Interrupt him and move him away from the fence as quickly as possible, using the least amount of force you can.

  • Start by calling your dog, and wait no more than 2 seconds to see if he responds.

    • If he does come to you, reward him for stopping barking! Then quickly bring him into the house to calm down.

  • If he doesn’t come within 2 seconds, move closer to your dog so that you can more easily get his attention. (The closer you are to his head, the more likely he is to actually notice you. Just don’t stick your face too close to his teeth!) You can tap his butt or side to get his attention, and call again, waiting no more than 2 seconds to see if he responds.

    • If he does turn back to you, reward him for stopping barking! Then quickly bring him into the house to calm down.

  • Use a body block: If safe to do so, get between him and the fence, and block his access, like a basketball or soccer player blocking a pass. Then move toward him so he has to move away from the fence. Shift left or right as needed to keep him from going around you. Herd him back toward the house to calm down.

  • If the body block is unsuccessful, you may need to put your hands on your dog to turn him around and move him away. Be careful. Some dogs will be so worked up from fence fighting that they will whip around and bite anyone that grabs them.

    • If your dog has previously snapped or bitten at you when restrained or interrupted, he should have a leash dragging from his collar or harness any time he is in the yard. This allows you to safely pick up the leash and guide him away from the fence.

      • If you forgot to attach the leash or it is bunched up too close to your dog, use a physical object, such as an elevated cot bed, to herd him back from the fence. Note that the object should not be used in a way that scares your dog or adds to the stress of the situation. Stay calm and matter of fact, just blocking and herding him back.

    • If you’re not worried about your dog biting you, you can take him by the collar or harness and guide him to turn around and return to the house. This should not be done roughly or in a scary or stressful way. Be calm but insistent that your dog leaves the fence.

If you reward your dog for stopping barking and returning to you, won’t he learn to purposefully bark and then come? The answer is no, if you also implement the management and training exercises above. Your dog should be getting rewarded for not barking at the other dog much, much more often than you have an “oopsie” and need to call him away.

Canine Obesity

A Banfield study out in 2020 showed that 51% of the dogs seen at their vet clinics were overweight, while a 2021 survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that only 39% of pet owners recognized their own dogs as overweight. What explains this discrepancy? Many dog owners don’t know how to assess the body conditions of their dogs. They may feed the amount suggested on the bag of dog food, without realizing that their individual dog needs fewer calories. Overweight show dogs may normalize an overweight profile. And veterinarians don’t always discuss the matter during the dog’s annual visit, especially if there are other issues with the dog’s health.

Why does it matter if your dog is overweight? It increases the risk of:

• many types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension

• osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints

• urinary bladder stones

• anesthetic complications as they are less heat tolerant

• increased inflammation, which means increased pain

And overweight dogs may die up to 2 years younger than dogs at a healthy weight!

Body Score Charts

These charts are a guide to assessing your dog’s weight. I’m including several so that you can learn to spot the similarities across different types of dogs.

Dr Sophia Yin

APOP

WSAVA

AAHA

Cambridge BOAS Research Group (Pug specific)

How to help your dog lose weight

The general guideline is that your dog can safely lose 3-5% of his body weight per month, but you should consult with your veterinarian for specific guidance. Here are some common ways to induce weight loss:

• Feed less kibble. Feeding smaller meals, more frequently may help your dog adjust and not get so hungry (and pushy for more).

• Reduce snacks. When you do give them, use healthy, low calorie snacks like fruits and vegetables.

• Add moist food or water to help your dog feel full. (Make sure to compensate with extra trips outside to potty.)

• Make training treats very small and healthy. You can use your dog’s kibble or an alternative form of complete food as a treat. (See more info on choosing healthy, effective treats here.)

• Increase exercise - but do it gradually, if your dog is out of shape.

• Increase enrichment, so that your dog has other things to entertain him and mealtimes aren’t the highlight of his day.

Polite Greetings

Jumping up to say hello is an extremely common behavior that owners struggle with. It’s natural for dogs to want to reach our faces and make physical contact when greeting us. Unfortunately it’s dangerous for bigger dogs to jump up, and can be annoying even from the little ones. Here are a variety of techniques to resolve this issue.

Start as soon as you get your puppy

When our pups are tiny and adorable, everyone wants to get down on the floor and encourage the pup to climb onto their lap. Many people will even encourage the puppy to reach up with his front feet for petting. This is where the problem starts! You are training your puppy that he gets attention for climbing or jumping on people.

Instead, only give your puppy attention when he has “four on the floor.” Either a sit or a calm standing position can be your pup’s way to politely say “please” when asking for attention.'

This applies not just when you have guests over, but also during walks, and when letting your puppy out of a pen or crate.

Sit to Greet

This is the most common way to teach pups to politely ask for attention.

• Cue your dog to sit. (Use a hand signal to help an excited dog recognize what you want.)

• If your dog jumps up, withdraw attention (stand back with arms up, or exit the room again). Then remind him to sit and try again.

Here is a training video of a dog learning to politely “sit to greet” when someone comes in the door.

Another dog learns to “sit to greet” when approaching people.

Go to Mat

If your dog has a strong “go to mat” and “stay” behavior, you can use that as another way to teach him to have self control when people come in.

• Cue your dog to go to his mat and stay. (Use a hand signal to help an excited dog recognize what you want.)

• Have your guest approach your dog to say hello.

• If your dog gets up, immediately remind him to return to the mat.

Come and Go

For dogs that can initially contain their excitement but then ramp up with energy, teaching them to say hello for a few seconds and then return to you can help them stay calmer.

• Have your dog initially say “please” by sitting.

• Cue your dog to “go say hi.” Let him approach the guest.

• Have the guest interact with your pup for a few seconds.

• Call your dog back to you. Have him sit and show calm.

• Repeat several times until your dog is calm enough to let him interact naturally.

For dogs who struggle to turn back to their owners, luring them away with a high value treat may be the ticket.

Powering up your training

It’s important to withdraw attention every time your dog jumps up, so that jumping doesn’t get reinforced. However the training will be even more effective if you can prevent him from getting all the way up in the first place.

• Have your dog on leash before you open the door for guests. No matter which of the above techniques you are using, you can use the leash to halt your dog and prevent him from getting his feet all the way up onto your guests.

• If your dog is large and strong, you can use a tether instead of holding him yourself. Your guests can stand just out of range of his front paws while still leaning forward to pet him when he’s calmly sitting or on his mat.

• A baby gate or exercise pen can also be used to keep anyone from getting knocked over while they say hello.

  • Your dog may benefit from hanging out behind the gate or pen for a while, getting over the initial excitement without being able to run around and jump up.

This 10 minute video shows a real-time training session with a dog who is learning to sit and be calm at my approach, with the help of a baby gate to prevent successful jumping on me.

High value treats are another tool to make this training more effective:

• Reward your dog for sitting or standing calmly both before and during the petting.

• Hold treats down by your dog’s front legs or place them on the floor so that your dog’s weight is shifted down during the petting - reducing the chances of jumping up.

• Scatter several treats on the ground as your dog approaches the other person, so that his attention is divided and his weight is shifted down. (This is especially helpful for high arousal dogs, who may sit politely but then explode forward and up toward the person.)

Dogs who enjoy holding toys in their mouths often jump less when they are showing off their toy. Encourage your dog to go get his toy before he approaches guests.

Giving your dog plenty of exercise before guests arrive will reduce the amount of excess energy he has for jumping.

Your dog will be calmer with guests if you work ahead of time on the doorbell, knocking, going to the door when there’s no one there, and so on. Here is a great tutorial from Emily Larlham/KikoPup.

If your dog is still struggling, break down the greeting process into smaller steps. Teach your dog to be calm when you walk up without making eye contact or or talking to him or petting him. Then add eye contact, then add a happy voice, and so on.

Emily Larlham gives a comprehensive guide to breaking down the greeting into small, manageable steps for your dog.

How to pet the dog (training the human)

The way you say hello to a dog has a HUGE effect on his behavior. Use these techniques to further help him be successful - and tell your guests, too.

• Use a calm, slow voice rather than high-pitched and happy.

• Turn your body partly sideways rather than facing head-on.

  • If you can, also encourage the dog to turn sideways so that you’re facing his shoulder and side. This further reduces the intensity of the interaction. Do this by altering where you’re offering your hands, not by physically moving the dog. [Video examples to come.]

• Some dogs do much better if you avoid direct eye contact, which is too intense for them to handle. Look at their tail, instead.

• Reach down to pet and scratch the underside of his neck, chest, and sides rather than over his head.

  • The majority of dogs do not like being pet over the head, so this is good advice for every dog!

• For really major jumpers, you can give pets and scratches on their neck while slipping your thumbs between the neck and collar, or holding gently around their shoulders. This way, as soon as the dog tries to jump up, you “catch” them with your hands and prevent them from getting any vertical air. As soon as they stop trying to jump, return to calmly petting and scratching around the neck and shoulders.

Discouraging nibbling

Nibbling on hands when you’re trying to say hello is most often a symptom of humans reaching over the dog’s head. Instead of that, reach down low toward the dog’s chest, or pet from the side, “collar to tail.”

How to pet a mouthy puppy “collar to tail” so you don’t get bitten.

Some dogs just need to have something in their mouths - encourage them to grab a toy before trying to pet.

If the dog does nibble, make sure that you immediately withdraw attention. Keep calm (so as not to excite him), but pull your hands away and cross them for a few seconds. Have him sit (or do another calm behavior) before you start petting again.

Practice, practice, practice

Make sure that everyone in your family, and everyone your dog greets, is consistent!

Problems with Prey Drive

Here are resources from other dog professionals on this topic:

Dr Patricia McConnell - Chase This, Not That!

Sarah Stremming - Wildlife Chasing and Sighthounds with Alisa Healy KPA CTP, LFDM-T

Emily Larlham - Harnessing the Hunter (Here is a 15 minute overview of the full program.)

Predation Substitute Training

L. Talore - The Premack Principle Behavior Modification Program

Resource Guarding

I will write an in depth article about this in the future, but for now, here are resources from other dog professionals:

Rebekah Piedad - Resource Guarding and the Myths that Surround the Behavior

Rebekah Piedad - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Minimizing Resource Guarding by Letting Stuff Go

Emily Larlham - Resource Guarding in Dogs

Dr Patricia McConnell - Resource Guarding Revisited (dog to human)

Dr Patricia McConnell - Resource Guarding, Dog to Dog (Repost)

Jean Donaldson - Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs

Lili Chin - Constructional Aggression Treatment (C.A.T.)

Resource Guarding/Food Aggression (video)

Warning signals during resource guarding (dog body language lesson)

Leash Reactivity: Foundation Training

Okay, now that you understand the common reasons for leash reactivity to occur, how to avoid letting your dog rehearse it, and why it’s so important to work with your dog below threshold, let’s get to hands-on training!

Exit strategies

Before we jump into set ups and working around triggers, work on these foundation exercises. I refer to these as “exit strategies” because they are most commonly used to prevent your dog from getting into a bad situation, or getting him out when he’s already starting to go over threshold. You should first practice them randomly at home and on walks, when everything is calm and there are NO triggers around. Practice until your dog responds correctly and happily to each cue.

Name game: Use to improve your dog's responsiveness to his name.

1. Call your dog's name.

2. Immediately after, throw him a little party - happy talk, a treat, playtime, etc.

U-turn: Use to cue your dog to turn around voluntarily, without stress and without alerting him that a trigger is nearby. Later on, this will also make it easier for your dog to do the Engage-Disengage exercise (see below).

1. With your dog on leash, walk forward a few steps.

2. Say “u-turn!”

3. Turn around 180 degrees.

4. Jog forward a few steps.

5. Reward your dog for catching up with you.

Climbing up the leash: Use when your dog is at the end of a tight leash, and you need to get closer to get his attention or lead him away.

1. Place one hand in front of the other along the leash, as if you were climbing a rope. Repeat until your hands are close to your dog's collar. (Make sure that you are the one moving toward your dog, rather than pulling your dog toward you.)

2. Use the name game, treat magnet, or gentle but steady pressure on the leash/collar/harness to turn your dog away from the trigger.

Treat magnet: Use to distract and lead your dog away if he’s to too worked up to respond to the “u-turn” cue, or when you really don’t want him to look around and spot a trigger in the area.

1. Grab a small handful of treats in your hand. There should be enough treats that your dog can lick and nibble for a while, but not so many that they’re falling out of your hand.

2. Hold your hand into a lightly closed fist or “tunnel” shape, and place it directly in front of your dog's nose.

3. As your dog starts to lick or nibble at the treats, lure his head to the side and have him follow the treats until he's turned around and walking away from the trigger.

4. Let him continue to eat the treats as he's walking away.

5. The handful of treats should act like a “magnet” attached to his nose - he doesn’t look up or away, just keeps his attention fully focused on the food.

Ziggy and his owner demo turning away using the name game, climbing up the leash, and the treat magnet.

Demo of teaching the “scatter” cue.

Scatter: Use to distract your dog when you are unable to completely avoid a trigger. Also use to give your dog a break and help him calm down (works best in grass).

1. Say “scatter!”

2. Scatter 3-5 treats on the ground and let your dog hunt for them.

3. Repeat as many times as needed until trigger is gone or dog is calm enough to continue walk.

Leash Reactivity: Training Around Triggers

You have the background info, you’ve done the foundational training. Finally, let’s get to actually teaching your dog to be calm around his triggers.

Desensitization and counter conditioning

This is one of the gold standard approaches to reducing reactivity, especially when it is caused by fear or anxiety. In brief, we will teach your dog that the appearance of his triggers predicts getting yummy treats. Here is an article with more information on this process and how to apply it.

1. Dog sees trigger.

2. Dog gets treat - sometimes just one, sometimes a stream of treats the whole time the trigger is happening/in sight.

Engage-Disengage Game

I often begin training with straight desensitization and counter conditioning exercises, but then progress to using the Engage-Disengage Game. There are two stages to this:

1. Mark and reward the dog as soon as he looks at the trigger (engages).

2. Let the dog look at the trigger for a few seconds and wait. Mark and reward as soon as the dog looks away (disengages) from the trigger.

Here is a lovely graphic from Alice Tong that explains the Engage-Disengage Game in detail.

If you prefer learning via video, here is one from Charleston Animal Society explaining how to teach this exercise, and here is another one from Bravo Dog Training & Behaviour.

Here is an example video of Georgia performing the Engage-Disengage Game with me while looking at another dog at PetSmart. (Yes, Georgia was very leash reactive before her training started!)

Here is a video of a dog fully trained in the Engage-Disengage (or “Look at That”) Game going for a stroll and “pointing out” potential triggers to his person.

This exercise provides the dog with a specific alternative behavior that they can perform instead of lunging, barking, and so on. It gives them more control over the situation and helps reframe the training exercise into a fun game. It also gives the owner more insight into how their dog is feeling about the trigger (did the dog disengage promptly or after a delay? Are the dog’s movements fluid and controlled or fast and frantic? Is the dog even able to disengage on his own without help?).

BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training)

This is another technique that works very well when combined with counter-conditioning and/or the Engage-Disengage Game. I will often use all three in a single session, flowing from one to the next as best fits the moment and the dog’s demeanor.

BAT was developed by Grisha Stewart. It is usually done with the dog on a long line (leash that is 10+ feet long) for better freedom of movement. (Remember that the more control your dog feels he has over the situation, the more relaxed he will be, which allows for greater success in the initial stages of training.) It can also be done on a regular leash if the dog is able to keep it loose.

We start far away and allow the dog to meander around the area. We keep him from inadvertently rushing toward the decoy, but allow him to observe his surroundings until he notices the helper. At that point you:

• Help your dog come to a stop by slowing down and then halting progress with the leash.

• Make sure the leash is slack once your dog has stopped.

• Wait and watch your dog's body language.

  • If your dog is becoming more tense/alert or starting to show overt reactivity toward the trigger, help him move away (use one of the exit strategies explained above).

  • If he is calmly observing the trigger, let him continue watching. (The exception is for dogs who will go over threshold if they stare for too long.)

  • When he disengages and goes back to walking, sniffing, or other calm behavior, praise and continue letting him meander around the area.

This training technique most closely resembles a “real” walk and the final behavior we want from your dog: noticing a trigger, watching for a moment, then turning away and continuing to walk with you.

Play Way

This approach, developed by Amy Cook, is different than most because rather than teaching your dog specific alternative behaviors around his triggers, it focuses on helping your dog truly relax and even play with you while out and about in the world. Here is her explanation on using social play for behavior problems, and here is a detailed article on the method. Lili Chin has created one of her adorable infographics with information, as well. I generally recommend this technique for dogs who have many triggers for their anxiety, and have trouble relaxing and letting down their guard.

Practice playing together both on and off leash, first in the house, then in the yard. Think of your playtime as including lots of back and forth communication: are you enjoying this? Do you need a break? Would you prefer to do something else? Follow the “3 second rule” - after about 3 seconds of play or petting, pause and see what your dog does. If he engages with you, great, keep going! If he turns away or looks around, that means that he needs a break, or is concerned about something in the environment, or wasn’t into the type of play/petting you were doing. Give him a moment to look around, then ask him if he would like to play some more.

Over time, you dog will build confidence and be happy to ignore the rest of the world in favor of connecting with you in play.

Here are some video examples of playing with dogs, without treats or toys, and without overwhelming shy dogs or getting bitten or jumped on by big dogs:

• Myself playing with Bodi at PetSmart.

• Tania Lanfer of Cannon Dog Training encouraging play outdoors.

• Amy Cook playing with a small dog, and using lots of little pauses to make sure the dog isn’t overwhelmed.

• Amy Cook coaching an owner with a large dog on playing together.

• Non-contact play with a puppy who needs a confidence boost.

• Man playing gently on the floor with a tiny Shih Tzu puppy. (Get ready for a huge boost of oxytocin!)

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Info

With rattlesnakes being so common in our area, I am frequently asked about rattlesnake avoidance training. Many people are surprised to find out that the vast majority of this training is done by putting shock collars (also called “e-collar” or “stim collar”) onto the dogs in the class, and delivering a shock when they notice the snake. Proponents of this training believe that it’s worth putting the dogs through this experience in order to save their lives. However, there are problems with this plan:

• There is no way to guarantee that the dog will make the intended association between snake and shock.

  • The dog may actually associate the trainer, their owner, the other people, the other dogs, or the location with the shock - or even a random noise or scent that they sensed right before.

• There is no guarantee that this will keep your dog from being bitten by a snake, even if they do make the intended association.

  • Not all rattlesnakes rattle before they strike - especially if they don’t have time because something has suddenly stumbled right onto them. So then the sound and sight are not cuing your dog to move away.

  • Your dog may be upwind of the snake, so the smell is not cuing your dog to move away.

• Using shock (or any other form of pain or intimidation) is not recommended and simply not necessary to train dogs.

  • It is a standard of practice in many professional behavior organizations and with many certifications that trainers follow the Humane Hierarchy, which requires use of antecedent management, positive reinforcement, and other techniques before turning to aversive methods.

  • Dogs who are trained using aversive methods experience greater stress and are more likely to exhibit aggression.

• The snakes are also harmed during this training, as they are muzzled or defanged and repeatedly put into situations in which they perceive the need to act defensively (rattle) to protect themselves.

The good news is that there are alternatives - positive training methods can teach dogs to move away from rattlesnakes, too. Instead of using live snakes, trainers may use shed snake skin, recorded rattles, fake snakes, or even dead snakes. As above, there are no guarantees, but it is just as effective and now you are not risking serious fallout from the use of shock. The owner is an active participant in the process, which means that the dog’s responsiveness to and bond with their owner grows.

The bad news is that the shock collar trainers have really cornered this market, and it can be challenging to find local positive trainers offering classes or seminars. As soon as I hear of something in our area, I will add the info here!

Online training for rattlesnake avoidance

Fortunately there are online resources that you can utilize on your own schedule, and follow at your own pace:

• Eileen Koval’s online course

• Pamela Johnson’s on-demand video at Tawzer Dog

• Ken Ramirez’ online, six-week course at KPA

There are other ways to protect your dog, too. [to be finished!]

vaccine info

understanding rattlesnake behavior

decreasing rattlesnake habitat on your property

The word NO

As a trainer who uses “positive”/”force-free” training methods, my focus is always on teaching dogs what we want them to do and developing good habits. For example, for dogs who pull on leash, I teach them to heel and focus on the owner instead. I don’t advocate using punishment - such as yanking on a prong collar or choke chain - to make the dog stop doing something undesirable. What comes along with this is that I almost never use the word “no.”

Why is “no” not useful?

• The intention of saying “no” is to get the dog to stop doing something. To us humans, it’s obvious what we’re referring to in the moment, eg, no barking, no biting, no jumping, no digging. To the dog, however, it’s not obvious at all! Especially since we tend to use the word “no” in many different contexts. It’s not specific enough to give useful information to the dog.

• Some dogs may stop whatever they are doing and give subdued body language when you raise your voice or talk sternly. In those cases, it may seem like reprimanding them is doing the trick. However, it doesn’t tell the dog what you do want them to do, so that they can form good habits. It also doesn’t address any underlying problems that may be causing the dog’s “naughty” behavior. If your dog is barking because they’re fearful of the stranger coming into the house, telling him “no barking” won’t solve the real issue at hand.

• Some other dogs just don’t care about their owner getting upset, or at least not enough to change their behavior. In which case, their frustrated owner is repeatedly saying “no no no!” while the dog continues on their merry way. As above, they are not being taught what we do want them to do. How are they supposed to do better next time?

So what should you do instead?

Don’t rely on using “no” to make any lasting changes in your dog’s behavior. Instead, use the following approaches to truly teach him different ways to behave.

• Management: Prevent your dog from rehearsing the unwanted behavior as much as possible.

• Be proactive: Make sure that your are meeting your dog’s baseline needs before he resorts to chewing up your shoes out of boredom. If you know that he tends to “act up” around a certain time of day, proactively give him exercise and appropriate activities before he starts up.

• Redirecting: If your dog does end up jumping, barking, digging, etc, you immediately step in to remedy the situation and redirect your dog to a more appropriate activity or simply remove him. This may involve the use of a positive interrupter, using a leash to physically move your dog away, or getting him interested in toys or treat training instead.

• Teach appropriate behaviors: Make sure your dog has a solid understanding of at least one alternative behavior. For example, if you want your barky pup to get your attention in a different way, teach him to sit quietly on cue.

• Build good habits: Encourage your dog to rehearse those more appropriate behaviors over and over, until they become his “go-to” choices.

• Desensitization and counter-conditioning: This should be applied for any behavior that is rooted in fear or anxiety. It is also often part of the training plan when dogs are over-excited, frustrated, or feeling other “big emotions.”

This video shows an example of a puppy who was biting his harness and owner’s hands every time she tried to put the harness on, despite firmly being told “no.” Chirag Patel showed his owner how to use treat training to teach the puppy to cooperate and easily put on the harness.

Time outs

There are situations I will recommend using a “time out” to discourage unwanted behaviors. A time out consists of 30 seconds to 2 minutes of the dog being removed from the situation in order to emphasize that we don’t want him to do a specific behavior. However this is always used in conjunction with the methods listed above, so that the dog is given information on what we do want him to be doing instead, those alternative behaviors are heavily reinforced, and the owner is using management and being proactive to prevent rehearsal of the unwanted behavior as much as possible.

Actions over words - using “no” effectively

If you are using time outs as part of your dog’s training program, THIS is the time to use your “no” effectively! (Although I tend to use the word “time out” instead, because it reminds me to be specific and consistent.)

1. Say “no” or “time out.”

2. Immediately after, put your dog up or remove yourself from the situation.

Now you have a cue that the dog will understand, and you can use it to highlight the exact moment that your dog did the unwanted behavior (eg right as he jumped up or nipped in play). It is your actions that give the cue meaning, rather than your specific wording or tone of voice.