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 or 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 it truly occurring, scientifically speaking, is people are punishing standing. From there, the dog is supposed to guess that 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 sever pain. Most likely because they were victims of physical punishment or have seen or heard of physical punishments occur to others. Nobody wants to go to jail because is we like our freedom; therefore, the severity of the punishment regulates our behaviour. In other words, we behave because we wan 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 another tantrum (behaviour) would occur. You might agree with the process or not, that is not the point*. The point is, 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 wellbeing 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 is can get all it wants (so too 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 wellbeing 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 to go 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

We know dogs have emotions and form bonds with us; however, sometimes human-animal attachments seem broken, or worse, unable to develop. Today, we will explore the various reasons why this happens, but more importantly, how can we change an insecure emotional attachment into a secure one.
 
John Bowlby was highly influenced by Konrad Lorenz when he decided to research and discuss attachment theory in the late sixties. His model proposed three attachment outcomes: secure, avoidant, and resistant. During the same time period, Mary Ainsworth added a research method to assess different forms of attachment, she called it the Strange Situation Classification. Her conclusion gave way to three types of attachment styles: secure, insecure avoidant, and insecure resistant.
 
Although similar, Bowlby focused on attachment as a fixed action pattern (FAP), whereas Ainsworth focused on acquired emotional connectedness. Both psychologists contributed to our understanding of attachment, but what about the human-dog bond? Can we form secure or insecure attachments with dogs? When you read the following definitions, simply replace the word infant or children with the word dog and see for yourself. I purposefully omitted sources to help readers make a non-scientific judgment.
 
Secure Attached dogs -
"Such children feel confident that the attachment figure will be available to meet their needs. They use the attachment figure as a safe base to explore the environment and seek the attachment figure in times of distress. Securely attached infants are easily soothed by the attachment figure when upset. Infants develop a secure attachment when the caregiver is sensitive to their signals, and responds appropriately to their needs." (Bowlby, 1988)

Insecure Avoidant dogs -
"Insecure avoidant children do not orientate to their attachment figure while investigating the environment. They are very independent of the attachment figure both physically and emotionally. They do not seek contract with the attachment figure when distressed. Such children are likely to have a caregiver who is insensitive and rejecting of their needs. The attachment figure may withdraw from helping during difficult tasks and is often unavailable during times of emotional distress." (Bowlby, 1988)

Insecure Resistant dogs -
"Here children adopt an ambivalent behavioral style towards the attachment figure. The child will commonly exhibit clingy and dependent behavior, but will be rejecting of the attachment figure when they engage in interaction. The child fails to develop any feelings of security from the attachment figure. Accordingly they exhibit difficulty moving away from the attachment figure to explore novel surroundings. When distressed they are difficult to soothe and are not comforted by interaction with the attachment figure. This behaviour results from an inconsistent level of response to their needs from the primary caregiver." (Bowlby, 1988)

If you believe these attachment definitions apply to you or someone you know, you are not alone. Most dog owners fall under one of these attachment styles. The good news is we can change insecure attachments to secure ones because dogs are cognitively and emotionally eternal infants, so to speak.

Insecure Means Behaviour Problem
When dogs exhibit undesirable behaviours, the problem often resides in an insecure attachment. The important thing to know is behaviour cannot be modified if the human-dog team has an insecure attachment; therefore, dog professionals will assess and address attachment issues first. Remember the Social-Cognitive article? We need to change dysfunctional units into functional teams through social-cognitive exercises before we can address the behaviour problem. Attachment functions in the same way.

Brain Games increase emotional control and through direct positive associations between game and human, secure attachments develop. In other words, when humans help their dogs solve problems, dogs learn to connect, bond, relate, attach to their humans; consequently, securely attached human-dog teams display better problem-solving skills and desirable behaviours.

To help you grasp the idea further, imagine you are in the kitchen and your dog rolls his ball under the couch. Your dog barks or runs back and forth from the couch to you. You realize something is wrong and investigate. You then see the dog heading to the couch and bark at it. You quickly understand there is something wrong. You bend over, see the ball, and grab the toy with your extremely long paws to solve your dog's problem. If you see yourself in this situation, kudos, you have a secure human-dog attachment.

Secure or insecure attachments are neither good or bad, they are what they are. I see attachment issues as tools to help us understand how dog behaviour evolves and why. As the old saying goes, once we recognize the problem, half the work is done.

References
Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base. Oxon, UK: Routledge.
Boyd, D., Bee, H., & Johnson, P. (2009). Lifespan Development (3ed.) Toronto, ON: Pearson.
McLeod, S. (2007). Bowlby's Attachment Theory. Retrieved from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html
McLeod, S. (2008, updated 2014). Mary Ainsworth. Retrieved from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html
Horse Attachment - http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2013/12/andrew-mclean-on-attachment-theory/

P.S. The beer bottle contained water. I use this image to visually represent behaviour problems. 

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr 

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, 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 kill more people each year. This is unethical reporting. 

Aggression is considered morally unacceptable in dogs, yet people tolerated 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 result of another category. Most aggressive displays are based in conflict, hence, conflict-related aggression is removed from this list.

• 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 towards non-living objects. In an 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 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 discuss 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 life 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, 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 population; therefore, euthanasia is considered as 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 abandoning their pet's lie. Furthermore, an animal in a crisis often exhibits its best behaviour, but 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 already written into by-laws. Mandatory leashing 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 or stupidity; why cats can kill wildlife but not dogs, why cats who bite people are not killed, 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 

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, skydoo, 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 for 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 

You decided to get a dog. Congratulations! But now that you made the decision, where do you begin? Should you get a pure breed, a mutt, a puppy, an adult, should you get it from a breeder or a shelter? All these questions can be difficult to answer.  

When clients consult for my pre-purchase services, they often ask the above questions. My job is to guide future clients, not tell them what to do. Below, you will find the top ten questions to consider before you get a dog. From these answers, selecting the right pet becomes a little easier. 
  
1. Are you an active person who is outside in the winter, summer, or both? 
2. What will the dog do in your household the rest of the time? 
3. Do you like fur in your house? On your clothes? 
4. Do you have time and/or the desire to brush a dog every day, especially during fall and spring?  
5. Do you have a budget for grooming every month? 
6. How about drool, do you mind having drool on your clothes and walls? 
7. Male or female? The sex of the dog doesn't really matter, but sterilization costs are more expensive for females. Plus, if she is not sterilized because of breeding contracts, how will you manage the three-week menstrual cycle twice a year? 
8. Size. Do you have enough room to allow the dog to run around in your house or yard?  
9. Will the dog have a specific job? If so, selecting a puppy might be the best option. If not, adopting is an awesome choice. If you get a puppy, where does the breeder live? 
10. Where do you live? Certain breeds are not well adapted for city life. 

There's no right or wrong answer to these questions because they allow you to figure out what dog best suits your lifestyle. I always suggest to my clients they work through a process of elimination rather than trying to find the best match. What you don't want will often guide you in the right direction. 
  
If you need guidance to choose the right dog, I recommend you invest in a trainer or behaviour consultant that will help you make the appropriate choice. They know breed specifics and breeders with a reputable background. Finally, stay away from "free to good home" dogs and web sites like Craig's List and Kijiji. The dogs advertised on such websites are often misleading and deceitful.

I know a person who once bought a working line, German Sheppard, with full reproduction rights for 300$. The purchase turned out to be costly because the dog had major hind leg issues and two cryptorchid testicles. And that goes without mentioning his aggression towards people and other dogs.

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 a different emotion. 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 aggressive responses. 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 their 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

Dogs are social creatures; consequently, social animals socially learn from one another. It sounds redundant, but it is true. Life is not all about behaviourism. Other learning theories apply to dogs, and today we will look at social learning and locus of control. Perceived control is a fundamental component of wellbeing. Human and non-human animals need to know they have some control over the outcome of their lives because it makes them feel good. 

Dog Locus of Control 
Locus of control is the perceived control one has over the outcome of life events. If you are at a party and feel uncomfortable, your perception of leaving or staying reduces stress or anxiety because you know you can walk out the front door at any time. If the door is locked, your stress and anxiety will increase and possibly turn into a panic because you have no control over staying or leaving. It is essential for social animals to have control, or at least perceived control, over their environment and lives. Dogs are not exempt from this rule. 

Dogs who have some control over their environment are generally less reactive, aggressive, fearful, stressed, or anxious. Animals behave more efficiently when the outcome of a situation is socially and cognitively predictable; consequently, classical and operant conditioning is by far the only training options. 

You can classically or operantly train a behaviour, but ultimately, the perception the dog has about an event might not change. Emotions are good predictors of behaviourism failure. You can train a dog to sit in front of a firecracker yet it remains fearful of the stimulus (the noise). Yes, behaviourism addresses conditioned emotional responses, but social learning tells us results can be achieved much faster if the dog has a relationship with the human and has gained control over its environment as a result. 

Dog Social Learning vs. Behaviourism 
The old school dominate or be dominated mentality is an outdated and ridiculous idea that essentially boils down to removing (read punish harshly) all the dog’s possible control options. First, dogs do not care about world domination. Secondly, control and dominance are not the same. Dominance is a form of influential power between two members of the same species: dogs dominate dogs, humans dominate humans. Control is knowing or predicting the outcome of a behaviour.

Locus of control is the perceived outcome of an event based on internal motives and does not involve dominance. If a dog wants to go for a walk by exhibiting typical barks and tail wag behaviours, and the human responds by taking the dog outside, the dog has indeed controlled the human. Thus, Fido concludes he has some control over the outcome of the event because he made the human take him outside. That is not dominance, that is a symbiotic relationship established and maintained through social learning. 

The Importance of Control 
At the Dogue Shop, we purposefully teach dogs to take control of their environment because it prevents behaviour problems from developing in the first place. A dog that can make a human move away from a potential dog-dog interaction is less likely to act aggressively towards the incomer. 

A locus of control allows dogs to experience a positive umwelt. The reason is simple, social cognitive learning and perceived control increases feel-good neurotransmitters and hormones. When you work and achieve a positive result, you feel a strong sensation of joy. 

Imagine your latest successful accomplishment and how it made you feel. Did you experience joy, satisfaction, peace, or comfort? Did you rejoice in the achievement via self-gratifying behaviours like drinking a glass of wine or eating a piece of cake? If the answer is yes, then you know how your dog feels when he has some control over his life, especially when they lead to a positive outcome. 

Locus of Control Training 
The ability to control and avoid being control summarizes the life of any organism, plants included. In dog language, we talk about dominance and submission (all three types) as a means to an end of control, not as aggression or fearfulness. When dogs have a perceived sense of control, their emotions are less likely to escalate in either direction. 

The takeaway message is to train and allow your dog to have some control over his life and environment. I know, old school dominance trainers will disagree since their philosophy is based on dogs wanting to control, AKA dominate our lives. I assure you, dogs are not out there to control or dominate our lives. 

Cheers.
G.

References 
- Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press 
- Rotter, J. B. (1954). Social learning and clinical psychology. New York: Prentice-Hall 
- Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General & Applied. 80 (1): 1–  28. doi:10.1037/h0092976 
- Rotter, J. B. (1982). The development and applications of social learning theory. New York: Praeger 
- Rotter, J. B. (1989). Internal versus external control of reinforcement: A case history of a variable. American Psychologist, 45, 489-493

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. 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 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 then 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 receive messages daily in private and on the blog post My Dog Killed My Other Dog. I am very saddened to hear all your stories, so today I thought I would write to you and give you some answers and possibly peace and closure to mourn your loss. 

Amongst the people who write to me, many inquire about the outcome of their killer dog. I am going to explain it as straightforward as possible because people often ask me if they should have their dog euthanized. Unfortunately, I cannot give feedback on a case I do not know, thus, I write this article in hopes you find solace here, in these words. 

Why dogs kill each other 
Dogs are opportunistic predators that exploit vulnerabilities. Their main function is to survive and see another day; as such, dogs and their wild cousins, have developed complex behavioural processes to reach their intended goal. As you read on, please do not confuse predatory instincts with aggressive responses. The intent behind a predatory kill is to fill one’s belly with food. 

As mentioned above, the following descriptions are reasons why dogs kill other dogs. I will enumerate and briefly discuss them. Keep in mind each case is unique; therefore, all that follows refers to the general dog population. 

- Death by food 
Dogs need to protect their food or food source in order to survive. If they did not protect, aka resource guards their food, dogs would die relatively quickly; hence, it is abnormal for a canine to continuously relinquish its food to another dog, or person. 

Death by Food can be spontaneous or highly predictable. Normally, dogs will give off signs that their food is sacred and will do anything to prevent theft. When a little dog defends its food it will growl, snap, or soft bite the intruder. When a small dog warns a bigger dog, the size difference can mean death to the little one. These arguments contain loud growls, teeth, and fast action behaviours. 

- Death by age or sickness 
Dogs, like their wild ancestors, are opportunistic predators. This means anything that falls out of sync with normal behaviour can, and most likely will, be eliminated. A few examples are locomotion discrepancies (limping), smells of diseases (cancer, diabetes, or postulant sores), and high pitch cries are all giveaways something is wrong. 

Canines will kill a sick or injured animal to prevent drawing attention to themselves from other predators. Rarely will they consume the corpse. Younger dogs normally kill older animals in a completely silent and unpredictable fashion when the human is absent. In this case, size has little to do with the actual death. 

These unpredictable silent attacks are very slow moving and meticulous. The attacker takes the dog by the neck, shakes, and kills the dog in a few seconds. Same size dogs often kill their housemates of similar weight and height in the same inaudible manner; the difference is the length of time it takes to accomplish the kill. 

- Death by conflict 
Conflict is another common death occurrence in canids. Agonistic behaviours and aggression are means by which dogs manage conflicts. When there is a size discrepancy, some conflicts can and do, escalate into a deadly situation. A conflict can occur over social and critical space invasion or because of overpopulation. Households that have too many dogs for the available social space creates tension, which in turn creates conflict. 

Arguments can also occur over breeding rights, toys, sleeping areas, attention from humans, or water bowls. When dogs feel their vital space, basic needs, or resources are at risk, they will defend them. These arguments contain loud growls, teeth, and fast action behaviours. 

Management is best 
The major difference between these types of deaths is silence and intent. When a dog wants to kill another dog to eliminate it from the environment, the attack is completely inaudible. You will not hear growls or barks from the offender. The victim might yelp for help if it can, but otherwise, the death is rapid and efficient, from a predatory point of view that is. 

When you have two dogs of different sizes, NEVER assume they are best buddies, especially when age and size differences are factors. It is best to separate them when you are absent or unable to supervise them. If your household contains multiple dogs, separate them into small groups based on size and health condition. 

Outcome scenario 
A death does not necessarily mean your dog is a killer. It might simply be circumstantial and never occur again. That said, people often know instinctively their dog is aggressive before the event occurred. In these cases, it is best to seek a professional evaluation before you decide on your next course of action.

If you have a multiple dog houshold, I urge you to take a dog language or aggression course and learn what dogs say to each other. Behaviour is highly predictable when it comes to assessing aggression or predatory instincts. Terriers are notorious for killing other dogs because of their high prey drive, so make sure you understand dog group dynamics if you have different age and size dogs. 

For morning resources you can read the Time to Say Goodbye article found on this blog. Please Note, I empathize with you; however, if you send me an email I will read it, but it is impossible for me to answer your specific cases as I do not know you or your dog. Best wishes on your journey and I sincerely hope you can find peace of mind with this article.

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 dangerousness. If your pure bread or mixed dog is classified as dangerous, regardless of circumstances, it can be sold to research facilities or laboratories who 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 you 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