Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
Showing posts with label Learn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learn. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
It's National Holistic Pet Day, a great day to learn more about how your dog can live more holistically!
Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Teach Your Dog Sign Language; You’ll Learn a Lot About Your Dog
You and your dog can have two-way communications, says today's guest blogger, Sean Senechal (Photo: Flickr photostream of Video4net)Last month I asked a question in a blog post I wrote about the upcoming movie, Dogs of Babel, in which a man tries to teach his dog to talk: Would you want your dog to be able to talk to you?
Sean Senechal and a friend who can converse with herWe had more than 100 responses. Many readers said they wouldn’t want idle chitchat, but they would want their dog to be able to tell them if they were sick, in pain, or sad. A pipe dream, I figured. And then I ran into something called AnimalSign Language. Its founder, Sean Senechal, a cognitive physiologist and behavior specialist for humans and animals, contends that dogs can communicate more than most of us could dream possible. We just have to find a common language. That language: A special sign language she says is easily learnable by most people and dogs. (After all, if babies can do it, why can’t dogs?)
This sign language, which she calls K9Sign for dogs, may have recently been responsible for saving her dog’s life. She writes about this, and the other benefits of K9Sign in today’s guest post. In another installment next week, Senechal will give you some practical ways to get started signing with your own dog. Move over, Dr. Dolittle!
Maria Goodavage
An amazing event occurred last week at AnimalSign Center. There, I teach dogs, horses, and cats enhanced communication skills. I use AnimalSign Language, which is much like Baby Sign or Gorilla Sign, but it’s made for domestic animals. I think nothing of seeing dogs K9Sign that they need water, want specific foods, or naming people at the door, or on the phone. But few weeks ago, I was awed by Chal, my German Shepherd, who K9Signed a startling communication.
Chal had been limping on her right hind leg. I couldn’t find her problem, nor where her pain was. I wanted to know where the problem spot was, to fix the problem, make her more comfortable, and to be able to tell the vet at our upcoming appointment. So, I simply asked Chal to tell me where she hurt. I signed to her ‘Where’s Your Ouch?’ I fully expected Chal to answer by tapping a spot on her right leg. She didn’t! Instead, Chal signed ‘Here’ by pointing to her right, lower nipple area. She tapped it, and then looked right back up at me. (I have a video of this below.) I listened to her response and checked the spot. Near her slightly red nipple was a small bump. This tumor surely must be cancer, just like the left-sided tumor (low-grade malignancy) I discovered (and had removed) a few years before. Now, I wanted her complete right-sided mammary chain to be surgically removed. Read more about the situation and Chal’s status in my blog. I’ll be tracking her progress physically, and cognitively as we learn more K9Signs to keep her mentally stimulated during recovery.
Chal and I had begun K9Signing since she was 1 year old. One exchange we worked on (when she had an infection) was the K9Sign ’Where’s Your Ouch?’ where Chal responded with ‘Here.’ She learned to tell me where she hurt. Now, Chal has demonstrated that dogs can not only tell you where they hurt, but also can detect and communicate the location of their own tumor spots. They have done this for humans, now we know they can do this for themselves, too.
Dogs can tell you what they sense in as much detail as they’ve had training to. Imagine what your dogs could communicate with K9Sign training, perhaps: A mouse is in the wall, Smoke is in the hall, Francois has fallen and has low blood sugar!, Basement all water, I am thirsty, My hip hurts, Blood under the rock, or Jacque is coming home!” Dogs have their own natural communications that needs to be respected, but they can expand and build on that core skill. Doing so would stimulate their minds and develop their brains-as it does in humans. We humans are provided years of language education; dogs should get some, too!
K9Signing is useful for many dogs: Working, Assistance, Service, Shelter/Rescue, Companion, Older, those in rehabilitation, or with special needs. K9Sign is now used by companion pets, dogs aiding the deaf or hard-of-hearing, and by therapy and other working dogs (for mold detection, etc.). Dogs have K9Signed to indicate Water, Food, Chicken, Liver, Toys, Play, Go Potty, Keys, Help, and many other objects, and discomfort/pain. The K9Sign gestuary includes signs for Fire, Names of people, Position of people (on the ground or up), Bed, Crate, Phone, household objects, and more. The K9Sign Gestuary is 100 words long and growing.
Chal signing her own Name in response to 'Who's That?' K9Sign benefits people (personally and scientifically), dogs themselves, and the human-canine relationship and bond. People benefit by improving the communication with their dog for companionship, play, work, or services. Instead of dogs just alerting by fetching, barking, sitting, and pawing to signal something, K9Signing dogs can be specific and tell you what they are alerting to. This enhances the dog’s skills. Imagine what details a dog might express about the environment. A dog for a blind person might sign Ground has big step-down, a Search and Rescue dog might sign Number of people, Dead, Alive, or Blood about people trapped under rubble, or your companion dog might sign Fire, Heart Attack, Seizure Type, and who is in trouble.
K9Signing gives us a tool to further understand and study canine communication potential. Many organizations examine canine expressive communication-vocalizations and natural body language. AnimalSign Center is the only organization that educates, trains, and studies dogs who are in intensive communication (especially expressive) training, or better education.
Dogs benefit from K9Sign. Imagine how empowered dogs might feel if they could tell you what they want and need, where they hurt, why they bark, what dangers are, or what they smell (that could fill a book). Successful communication reduces frustration, enhances joy, and provides mental clarity, stimulation, and brain development.
The benefits of enhanced communication include a deepened human-animal bond, as well as increased wellness for humans and animals. These alone are worth the effort.
Most dogs can learn to K9Sign, if they want too and can move (at bit). Dogs with movement issues or in rehabilitation can do this, and it keeps them mentally active, while reducing boredom. The most challenging dogs to teach are those who don’t have respond to typical reinforcers. They may not consider food or toys rewards. I’ve met only a handful. Dogs with IBD (irritable bowel disease), who can’t eat much, can be rewarded by licks, or even just smells, of food. Non-food rewards such as scratches and pats sometimes work. Very obedient dogs tend to take a longer to teach spontaneously use of K9Signs. These dogs wait for instructions to Sign, rather than spontaneously offer signs. Once they realize they are free to offer signs, they do, and love it!
Dogs can learn as many signs as they can differentiate thoughts and make moves. I predict that in the next year my Border Collie, Starlight, will have learned 100 K9Signs. She now knows 10 K9Signs, but will surely out ‘sign’ Chal soon. Most clients are happy with less than 10 signs, other clients are going all the way and adding to their vocabulary regularly. They send me Signing Stories often. Read more on that in my book and blogs.
Chal helped me create K9Sign and has known 50 signs. With her hind leg problems, she now K9signs mostly with her head, front legs, and body movements. My horse Princess knows how to EquineSign, and she has 100 up her hoof! She was the one who got me started with AnimalSign in the mid 1990s!
How You Can Learn More
Read my next Dogster guest post, called Dogs Can Sign, Too. Here’s How. Maria will publish it next week.
My website, AnimalSign.org, has a great deal of information.
I offer workshops/seminars which you can attend and/or host in your area. Several are scheduled in April/May in the North/South Monterey Bay Area. These cover topics on K9Sign: the Foundation Signs and Teach Your Dog to Tell You Where She Hurts. Check my website for events often.
WORKSHOP EVENT: Teach Your Dog to Tell You Where She Hurts. Santa Cruz, Ca April 23, 2011 2-6 pm.
WORKSHOP EVENT: K9Sign: the Foundation Signs in April or May in the North Bay Area. 2-6 pm. Stay tuned.
I offer Live/Interactive TELESEMINARS for those who can’t make it the live worshops.
TELESEMINAR EVENT: How to Teach Your Dog to Communicate Better on April 23, 2011 at 9 -10:30 am. Telespace is limited, so sign up soon, then call in to listen and ask questions.
For those wanting more individual guidance I consult by telephone, and provide private coaching in person (in your home).
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Need Inspiration to Learn Doggy CPR? Watch This Dramatic Video
Learning canine CPR isn't too hard and can make the difference between life and deathBy now you may have seen this video of a dog who collapsed during a training class earlier this week and pretty much died right there, only to be resuscitated by the trainer, who didn’t really know CPR but tried his hand at it. The video has gone fairly viral. Here’s the raw footage. (The most dramatic parts, with the dog’s understandably hysterical owner, are early on. It’s astounding to watch the dog come to — scared and confused, but very much alive.)
I’m glad they got it on video (ostensibly for the veterinarian?). My inclination would have been to help the distraught owner or the trainer, rather than stand there and videotape it. But in the long run, the video has done a lot of good, because people are now looking into learning more about doggy CPR.
The trainer, Ron Pace, is really to be commended. Sugar would probably not be here now if not for him. And Pace’s actions have brought canine CPR into the headlines. So let’s all benefit from this: If you don’t already know doggy CPR, take some time to learn it. Enroll in a course through your local SPCA, pet store, or dog group. If such a class doesn’t exist near you, or if it’s too pricey, you can find good info on the internet. Here’s a video that’s helpful. There are many others out there, too.
You can also find some good resources at the bottom of a Dogster post I did last year about a Chihuahua whose life was saved by CPR.
(We send a thank-you to Dogster Diane Almy, for keeping us up to date on this story!)
Friday, April 1, 2011
For those who say, ‘No kill? No way!’ — read and learn
What is amazing about all of these success stories is that they are amazingly the same … and they all begin with the leadership at the shelter making the decision to quit killing.
Then, the solutions become obvious. They include providing low cost spay/neuter options. Doing aggressive marketing of the animals that need homes. They include building up a volunteer base and foster homes and doing off-site adoption events. It includes proactive efforts to reunite lost pets with owners and reaching out to the public to ask for their help and support and embracing the community (instead of blaming them for your problems).
It isn’t about the shelter, the region of the country, or what kind of pets we’re talking about. It’s about a community that wants to think differently.
Funeral dirge on Beale: Meanwhile, Memphis is still broken. You won’t be surprised to learn they’re not a No Kill community. (thanks to alert reader John Robinson)
Mice still playing across the pond: So they hire a new cat to patrol the premises at 10 Downing Street. Larry is in charge of mouse control at one of the world’s most famous addresses and…he’s doing a terrible job. MSNBC is on top of the story.
Barely had the 4-year-old tabby lapped up his first saucer of milk on the job, when a whiskering campaign began against him. He was, some said, simply not up to the job.
“He has shown no interest in the many mice in Downing Street,” said one of Larry’s anonymous accusers (cattily) from inside Number Ten. And, unusually for that place: “There is a distinct lack of the killer instinct.”
The problem is that he spends too much of his time, well, sleeping.
You can insert your own joke here.
Feline CSI: Now for some good kitteh news – your cat can help solve crimes (even if she’s asleep). As Discovery News explains, the fur shed by cats can have sufficient genetic material to be used as evidence.
Fur from a fluffy, white house cat has already been used in a murder trial. The accused, Douglas Beamish of Canada, had cat fur stuck to one of his pockets in a discarded jacket. The fur was genetically linked to victim Shirley Duguay’s cat, Snowball. The evidence helped to convict Beamish of second-degree murder, leaving him with a 15-year prison sentence.
So if some dastardly crime befalls 10 Downing, Larry can do something helpful.
A hero among us: Rob McMillian is a Facebook friend of mine. I have to admit that until I read this Culver City News piece about Rob and his wife Helen, I had no idea this man has done something so remarkable. Love, training and unswerving patience can accomplish wonders. Bravo, Rob.
Farewell, Bri: Wayne Mates is a dear friend and fellow Syracuse alum (Go Orange!). His website is devoted to tips and tricks for small business entrepreneurs, but he took time out to compose a tribute to his late dog Bri that choked me up until I couldn’t speak. Thank you for sharing this post with us, Wayne.
Finally, a chuckle: Once you’ve recovered from that, you can cheer up by watching Simon’s Cat cope with sticky tape.
I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.
Photo credits: Happy dog, flickr creative commons (wsimmons). Bri, waynemates.com
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Click, treat, learn: Do you click with your pet?
January 25, 2011
No, I’m not talking about getting along well, although I sure hope that you do. When I say “click,” I mean a training technique that’s easy and fun for all.
Clicker training is a no-force technique that works on animals of all sizes, ages and abilities. And that’s also true of the people who would administer clicker training, since it doesn’t require strength or much coordination on the part of the trainer.
A clicker is a small plastic box that fits in the palm of your hand. You press down on the metal strip inside the housing and quickly release it — click-click!
The clicker itself doesn’t have any magic powers. What it provides is timing — it allows a trainer working with a pet who understands the game to let the animal know the behavior he’s doing right now is the one that’s being rewarded. And that means the behavior will be repeated. The clicking noise becomes a reward because in the early stages of training, the sound is linked to the delivery of something a pet wants, usually a tiny but yummy treat.
Does this sound familiar? Like from a psychology class, perhaps? It should ring a bell, because the underlying principal of clicker training is scientific (Pavlov’s drooling dogs, and all). But you can be excused if you don’t want to know the ins and outs of the science and just want to cut to the chase.
So cut to the chase already — here!
And from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker, news out of Cornell University:
To teach veterinary students to handle emergency situations without harming a pet in critical condition, the first-ever sophisticated critical care dog dummy with a software program has been developed by a veterinarian at Cornell University. Speakers and actuators within the dummy send out heart and lung signals, and a pulse can actually be felt. A balloon-like structure with air mimics breathing. The system monitors blood oxygen monitoring, blood pressure and EKG as well. Dr. Dan Fletcher, a professor at the Cornell veterinary school who teaches emergency medicine, noticed that students would freeze when first handling a critically ill pet. The dog dummy responds like a living, breathing critical pet, providing an environment in which students can learn, as well as make and learn from mistakes.
Read this week’s entire Pet Connection here!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Learn the Unbelievable Secrets to Dog Training with Dog Learning Pro
Cut your dog training in half. Learn how to stop your dog's bad behavior! Learn the Unbelievable Secrets to Dog Training with Dog Learning Pro.
Check it out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)