Premack’s Principle is a concept used frequently in dog training. It basically states that a higher probability behavior reinforces a lower probability behavior. Therefore, it’s sometimes referred to as the “eat your broccoli and then you can have dessert” principle. I have a lot of clients use it when they are working with getting their dogs’ prey drives under control. “Fido, if you sit, stay, and look at me, I just might release you to go chase down that squirrel that’s teasing you right now.” I often use it with Lucy when she encounters flocks of irresistable pigeons.

Here’s a video of me employing the principle with Lucy during this morning’s feeding. I had her run away from her food bowl to me (the lower probability behavior) and then reinforced it by releasing her to go eat (the higher probability behavior).

This week I get to hang out with Ozzie, a pretty awesome Cairn Terrier (possibly Border Terrier) / Jack Russell mix. Here’s a bit of video I took with my phone of us walking in the park this afternoon. He’s pretty taken by the squirrel that’s taunting him from afar. When he finally turned his attention back to me, he got big praise!

A few months back I was part of a pit bull adoption event organized by CityPitties in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn where I hosted an Ask The Trainer booth. Here’s a video highlighting the day. Look for my soundbite.

I got this invite from the folks at Safety Net / Pets For Life NYC. Sounds like great fun!

Paws for A Cause Comedy Show

Paws for a Cause, presented by Rosie the Irreverent,
An All Female Comedy Review Holiday Show!

Take a break and have a laugh while supporting a life-saving program for the animals of New York City!

(*Rosie the Irreverent will be making a donation to Pets for Life NYC, formally the Safety Net Program, an animal surrender prevention program which keeps animals out of NYC shelters and in their homes)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Location: Triad Theater
158 W. 72nd Street b/w Columbus and Amsterdam
New York, NY
Admission: $15. Cash Only. 2 drink minimum

You must call for a Reservation at 917-674-4503 to reserve your spot. Admission is paid at the door.

Featuring: Host Helen Hong (E! TV and TLC) and Headliner Karith Foster (Imus in the Morning, VH1, and NBC’s Today Show).

Also Leah Bonemma, Jackie Monahan, Maggie Champagne, Carmen Lynch, and Ali Bernstein.

And…. it’s a PET FOOD DRIVE too! We will accept unopened dog and cat food donations for our clients in need! THANK YOU!

Find out more at www.myspace.com/rosietheirreverent

Learn about Pets for Life NYC at www.nycacc.org/safetynet.htm

Visit the club online at www.triadnyc.com

We hope you can come!!!! It will be a fun, funny, and fantastic night

All of us are familiar with the typical Hollywood movie scene where children gather by a fireplace and a tree to open presents early Christmas morning. There’s one special gift waiting to be unwrapped. It wiggles and whines. The kids’ faces light up with joy as they discover there’s a puppy wrapped in a big red bow… just the puppy they’ve been begging for all year from their parents. This scene, replayed in many a holiday themed films gives most people the warm and fuzzies inside. And why shouldn’t it? There’s nothing like a furry little puppy… until it turns into a nipping, peeing, pooping machine.

If you are considering giving a dog to a special person this holiday season, there are some important things to consider.

1. There are a lot of shelter dogs in need of loving homes year-round. If you are considering a dog for someone, don’t bypass the shelters where you may find the perfect match, whether it be a puppy or an adult dog.
2. Not every dog is the one and not everyone is ready for a dog. It’s best to leave the decision of whether or not to adopt a dog to the person who will eventually be the primary caretaker. You can still retain an element of surprise in your present without actually gifting a live dog. Gather together a basket of necessary dog supplies and insert a gift certificate to a shelter. Let the person pick out their own dog to ensure a good fit.
3. When considering giving your young child a dog for the holidays, understand that kids could and should share with you the responsibility of caring for a dog, but it is ultimately the adult’s job to make sure the dog’s needs are met. Ask yourself if YOU are ready for a dog.
4. If considering a puppy for your family, remember that depending on the breed, the dog will most likely grow larger. Make sure you don’t make an impulse purchase that may eventually weigh 100 pounds.
5. Before bringing home a dog, make sure that you can support the dog financially. Especially in these economic times, you want to be careful to budget for food, medical care, training (which is a necessity, not a luxury, if the dog is to remain a nice family pet) and fun items like toys.
6. Consider the time investment you will have to make to give this dog an enriching life. You need to be able to provide adequate exercise and socialization.
7. If you’re to make an addition to your home, confirm that all family members are in agreement that this is the right decision… that includes the other pets in the house. Ensure that any potential dogs get along with your resident cats and dogs.
8. Get started on training right away. Don’t wait to teach your new family member the proper manners.

For dog training in Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Queens, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to help integrate your newly adopted dog into your home.

Here’s wishing you a happy holiday!

I rarely talk about this publicly anymore, but a few years back Lucy battled mast cell cancer and survived. Since then, I live every day being grateful for having her by my side. Even though each day I look at her and smile and tell her how much I love her, I have never really verbalized the little reasons why she’s so awesome. Here it goes:

1. Lucy’s the reason why I have a fantastic career as a dog trainer. If it weren’t for the fact that she put me through the wringer when we first adopted her, I might never have found my calling in life.
2. Her love of people is amazing. She will walk up to drunk people outside the local bar to request petting.
3. She’s a couch potato.
4. She hardly ever play bows, but when she does, it puts a grin on my face that stretches from ear to ear.
5. She smells bad. It’s a stink only a mother could love.
6. She’s soooo tolerant of bath time.
7. She loves to train. When she sees the clicker, her face lights up.
8. She gives the world’s best kisses.
9. I love the look on her face when she gets her ears massaged.
10. She survived cancer.

This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for Lucy.

I just got home from a fabulous seminar weekend up in Accord, NY at the Rondout Valley Animal Shelter run by Sue Sternberg. Puppyworks and the shelter hosted Sarah Kalnajs and Pat Miller who ran a great two-day workshop on recognizing and identifying canine behavior problems and the implementation of resolutions.

Below are some snapshots that I took with my phone (hence the poor quality) of dogs that are up for adoption. It was super hard to resist bringing one of them home.

I just wanted to share this short little clip of Lucy getting scratched on the head. A lot of dogs don’t like it when you pet them over the head, but Lucy LOVES it. Can you tell?

I’m off to a weekend conference with Pat Miller and Sarah Kalnajs and I’m going to miss my little girl!

This post is more personal than usual. It’s about my own challenges… as a student. I guess you could say I play the role of the dog here. The tables have turned. I am the trainee taking lessons from others and I wish I was as comfortable with driving as I am with working with people and their dogs. I have been struggling with the road since early 2009 when we moved to Brooklyn and was given an old clunker by my aunt. The irony is that I’ve held a license for over 10 years and now own a car, but can hardly operate it without getting overwhelmed and frustrated. That’s because I, like many teenagers, got a license, and then being a native Manhattanite, never used it until I moved out to the boroughs.

I wish someone could clicker train me to drive! Sigh!

In this process, I’ve really learned to empathize with my clients. Boy, it can be really difficult to learn a new skill when the environment you are working in is so distracting. You can hardly be set up to succeed sometimes. I wish there was a shaping program out there designed for new drivers in New York City where every movement is methodically broken down and you build one skill on top of the other. Unfortunately, the program I’ve got to deal with seems more along the lines of flooding. Sink or swim, I have to get on the road, drive, and learn to maneuver my car through potholes, crazy taxi drivers, double parked cars, and people honking behind me to get me to move faster. It has been a tough ride so far. No pun intended.

The morals of this story: Learning can be hard for both canines and humans. Whenever possible, set your student up to succeed and build on small successes rather than throwing your student into the deep end. Have patience! Learning to drive in the boonies would be easier, just like working with a reactive dog would be easier in the suburbs. Practice, practice, practice. Breathe…

I found this clip of Sesame Street on YouTube where Maria finds herself stuck in a world of dogs. I think it’s quite poignant. Sometimes you have to stop and think about how our dogs see the world. It can be quite the confusing place. Dogs are not humans and humans are not dogs. We need to make a concerted effort to develop a shared vocabulary with our dogs. Otherwise, we risk labeling our confused dogs as “defiant” and “spiteful” when really they just have no idea what it is that we want.