Animal Radio® Show #611 August 20, 2011         Humane vs. Canine Training – You Decide Alana Stevenson, Training Your Dog The Humane Way Vladae Roytapel, Training Your Dog The Canine Way Animal Radio® doesn't believe there is a "one-size-fits-all" approach to dog training.  Just like humans, dogs are individuals and will react differently to different types of training methods. We speak with Alan Stevenson, author of Training Your Dog The Humane Way, as well as Vladae Roytapel, The Russian Dog Wizard, who believes in training your dog the Canine Way, to get their different views and opinions on dog training. Alana's way of training humanely is based on science and animal learning theory.  Her training revolves around psychology and on how animals actually learn. Vladae's way of training is based on the canine approach, or the doggy momma approach.  A doggy momma has teeth to bite (this is her way of saying no) and her tongue to lick (which says yes). We give Alana and Vladae each the same scenarios and see how they would approach the problem: "We have been pet-sitting a large black lab that loves to jump on people and put his paws on their shoulders.  How do you stop this?" Alana Stevenson First she would get an understanding of what has been done to the dog, what signals people have been giving the dog in prior training and what the dog actually knows and doesn’t know.  With this understanding, she would then start giving suggestions based on these specifics to the person and to the dog.  Alana says keep in mind that jumping is not a dominant, aggressive behavior.  It is a submissive behavior stemming from when the puppy jumps up at its mother's face when she is chewing up the food.  It is a very differential, friendly and juvenile behavior.  If you watch dogs at dog playing together, it is never the dominant, confident, older dogs that are jumping up at the other dogs' faces.  Alana would not knee the dog in the chest nor push it back down and would not yell at them and saying the word "no."  Dogs also have an oppositional reflex.  Any push or pull on the dog in an opposite direction will make the dog instinctively do the opposite.  All puppies, all ages, all breeds have this reflex.  So if you push a dog down when he is jumping, you are actually encouraging the dog to jump back up.  If you grab the dog's collar and pull them away from the door when a guest enters so they can't jump on them, you are actually encouraging the dog to keep approaching the door. You need to stop pushing and pulling the dog and giving him attention.   Also, think about what you want them to do instead of jumping.  A dog doesn't know what it means when you just say the word no.  Decide if you want the dog to stay back from the doorway or even retreat to their bed.  You need to teach your dog etiquette, which means conditioning your dog to look and to pay attention to the person/guardian/homeowner whenever the doorbell rings and then to either stay back or go to its bed.   When the dog completes this behavior, be sure to give him a treat.  This will teach the dog to ignore the guest and be more interested in paying attention to you.  Vladae Roytapel Vladae believes in correction from the dog's point of view as he doesn't believe in any correction from the human point of view such as yanking, choking or hitting.  This would create a negative effect.  Vladae believes that jumping is a simple problem to correct.  When a dog jumps on a person, they are trying to get their attention.  He doesn't believe it is a submissive behavior.  People usually react to this by pushing the dog down, screaming and yelling.  But what this does is encourage the dog to do it again.  Vladae would handle the situation by being prepared with toys or treats, as a positive reinforcement like a mother's tongue.  But, he would "bite" the dog that jumps on him, and he would do it remotely.  He would use the device Pet Convincer, which is compressed air.  When the button is pushed, the sound of the air would momentarily startle the dog and make him pay attention.  Vladae would then redirect the dog to his "place," which is either a certain location in the house or to his doggy bed, which has been established previously.  Like Alana, Vladae believes that you need to address the cause.  Cause for any behavior problem in dogs is lack of structure and discipline in the dog's life.  It is also not meeting the dog's major needs which are physical, mental and social. Bottom line is that Alana doesn't believe you need to be alpha (which she describes as being a bully) and that you can be "friends" with a dog during training and claims that she has pretty much 100% success in working with aggressive dogs this way.  On the other hand, Vladae believes that dogs naturally like to follow the leader because they need constant direction and approval or disapproval for their actions, which they learned from the mothers.  While these two trainers don't agree on training methods, in the end, as a pet parent, it is important for you to be aware of all the different types of methods available to you to train you dog and for you to decide which is the best for the both of you.       The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani Truth About Hypo-Allergenic Dogs With the new age of designer dogs, also comes the new age of qualities that breeders claim they possess.   One of the new traits that designer dog breeders are claiming that their dogs have is that they are hypo-allergenic.  These are the breeders of Goldendoodles, the Portuguese Water Dogs, the Labradoodles, the Bichon Frises, etc., mainly dogs that have thick, dense coats.  They say these dogs don't shed and that is what makes them hypo-allergenic.  But the problem is that – none of this is true!  Anything that sheds skin cells, which is anything on this planet that has skin, can cause an allergic reaction.  This is what dander is.  It is not the actual hair of the animal, which can cause an allergic reaction, but the actual skin cells, or dander, that is shed that causes a reaction.  All dogs (every breed) shed and release dander, it's just that some shed to a much lesser degree than others.  Don't be fooled by the Mexican Hairless dogs either.  They have skin and will also shed their dander. But there are things you can do to minimize the dander.  Bathe your dog (or even your cat) with a mild shampoo that won't dry out their skin.  You can also make your own concoction by mixing one part Downey Fabric Softener to four parts water in a spray bottle and spray it on your pet.  This will keep the dander down on the skin.  It's non-toxic and it won't harm your pet.  It evens smells nice!  You can spray this on your pet every couple of days and work it through with your fingers.  Don't brush it in, as you don't want to scrape the skin and release any dander.  Then, you just let it dry. You just need to keep your pet clean and by using products that are made for allergies, you will be fine.  Don't get suckered in and spend money on a pet they say won't trigger your allergies! DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com.  Use the code "SAVE25" to receive 25% off!     Animal Radio® News with Stacey Cohen  A Bear Walks Into A Bar… Ukraine plans to build a rehab centre for bears illegally kept at roadside restaurants and given vodka and beer to attract visitors, the Ukrainian National News agency said.  "Each time you turn on the TV, you see those bears suffering at our roadhouses. Therefore, the ministry of environment and natural resources will build a huge enclosure for these bears at the Sinevir National Park,'" Minister Mykola Zlochevsky said.  He said some 80 bears will be taken to the rehab centre, which will open in December. Sidewalk Sale of Animals Banned Every day, shoppers flock to downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District for cheap fabric and knock-off jeans, purses and shoes.  But on some street corners, vendors carrying small plastic cages hawk turtles, bunnies and birds.  City officials say the sidewalk sale of animals is an underground economy that has gotten out of hand. In hopes of stopping it, they’ve passed a new law that makes buying animals on public streets or sidewalks illegal. The ordinance approved by the Los Angeles City Council calls for penalties of $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third. The measure will come back to the council for a final vote in August.  It adds to an existing city prohibition on the sale of live animals on public streets, as well as a new state law that bans the practice and sets tougher penalties for those convicted of animal abuse or cruelty.  Officials hope the new measures will help dissuade shoppers from buying the animals, many of which are young, malnourished and not inoculated. They plan to post signs in the Fashion District and other places where the practice is a problem, including the Venice and Chinatown neighborhoods, which warn shoppers that buying animals on the street is a crime. Chimpanzee Feed Tigers Officials at a zoo in China say one of their chimpanzees has become a big hit by feeding other animals. According to the Daily Telegraph, Dodo the chimp has been feeding the zoo's tiger cubs for more than a year. Dodo's trainers originally had him feed the tigers to give him a bit of a challenge, but let him continue when he appeared to enjoy it. Zookeepers point out that Dodo doesn't always stick to his job, as he sometimes likes to forget the feeding and just play with the cubs. The relationship between Dodo and the tigers is only temporary, however, as the cubs are moved to a larger area when they get bigger.   Deer Shows Up At Aquarium Officials at Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut are scratching their heads after a deer wandered into the seal exhibit this week. It took aquarium staff and volunteers about 30 minutes to finally yank the deer out. There were no signs of injury. No deer or seals were hurt during the encounter. Pooches Held For Ransom Four pedigree pooches were being held for $322,000 ransom over soured multimillion-dollar business deals with the thieves threatening to slash their throats.  The dogs, a Miniature Poodle, Maltese terrier and two Maltese Shih-Tzus, were snatched from the home of Sydney mortgage broker who described them as his "little angels."  The colorful executive, who loans money to people refused credit by major banks, said he suspected the dogs were stolen by two men who claimed he owed them money over business deals. He recently refused to pay them more than $1 million and said, "That's when they took my dogs."  Since they were snatched, he said he had been approached "through third parties to buy them back or their throats will be cut, one by one," and a photo of them cowering in a cage had been sent to him as proof they were still alive. So enamored of dogs he plans to open a five-star canine hotel called "Pucci's."  He said he would, "Rather die myself than see any pain or torment to my beautiful dogs."   But he refused to give in to the petnappers' demands and said he was hoping the police or the offer of a substantial reward would ensure his pets were saved.   Peacock Who Flew The Coop Is Back Home A peacock who escaped from the Central Park Zoo is back at its home. The colorful bird flew the coop and ended up on the perch of a swanky Fifth Avenue apartment building. It stayed there for more than 15 hours but decided it had had enough.  Lucky New Yorkers were there to witness the peacock fly away back to the zoo. The escaped bird created quite a scene outside the Fifth Avenue apartment, with crowds of onlookers snapping photos all day long and marveling at the sight. A few people even set up Twitter accounts for the feathery friend. Zoo officials are reportedly checking out the bird to make sure it's okay, but it appears unharmed. It's the third time this year that an animal has escaped from its enclosure at a zoo in New York.   Planning A Vacation Both You And Rover Can Enjoy? How about Portland, Oregon? The Pacific Northwest city tops DogFriendly.com's list of the Top Ten Dog-Friendly Cities to Visit In the U.S.  The list is based on the cities' pet-friendly accommodations, transportation, beaches, park, attractions, stores, dining and more.  Portland is credited as the "pet-friendliest" for its Lucky Labrador Brewing Company and the International Rose Test Garden, which welcomes canine visitors. At number two is Chicago, where dogs and their owners can visit the Navy Pier, dine in elegance, cruise on a pet-friendly tour boat or walk the parks of the city. The third-place, San Diego, is credited with the country's best dog beaches and trails and world class pet-friendly shopping centers.   Seattle and Philadelphia complete the top five. For the full list go to  DogFriendly.com. NEWS UPDATE Brought To You By PetzLife.com.  Use the code "RADIO" to receive 20% off!     Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#611)   indicates XM Satellite Radio and Podcast versions only.

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