Triggering, code signals, recreating drive, and strength after a souring experience.
All we had was two weeks. Just two weeks to go until our seasonal highlight event: the Dock Dogs World Championships. Facing refusals and logical stops created at our 2020 Regionals/Nationals outdoor outing, I had to retrain my dog, earn his trust, rebuild his confidence, and ultimately convince him that playing and chasing after a toy was nothing but fun. Years of work had just been seemingly flushed away in less than a minute.
My thought was to replicate the whole scenario of a speed retrieve competition without any water exposure. The outdoor temperatures had consistently dropped into the low 30’s that week. The pond water truly had turned into just another cold, and therefore risky, option, and wearing the neoprene wetsuit would not help much as it previously did not offer enough protection under similar weather conditions at Regionals. The next closest indoor facility was 100 miles away; and just getting there, creating the almost identical replica of a previous scenario of traumatizing impact, did not make much sense to me. Even so, with the indoor water was in the 80’s, Bernhardt wouldn’t know the difference without trying. Since the actual competition does not offer any opportunity to get off the ramp first, that pattern was not a training option. Bernhardt also did not need to (incorrectly) learn that the side exit and ramp were to be used for creating some safe haven of a “let’s check the water” type of scenario. I needed to come up with something else to get our dynamic behavior pattern back by reinstating a high drive combined with triggering signals that did not take any risk of discomfort or even the smallest pain infliction.
So, I returned to one of the old exercises that used when we started out: using a double drop (or bank, as it is known in the horse world) in reverse. That setting offers beautiful training varieties because there is no front landing impact (which I try to avoid as much as possible for several reasons), it strengthens the hind end, and it offers placing options even exceeding the 40-foot distance of a standard dock. With this setup, there is plenty of space to run for the object of desire: a brand-new squeaky football. And there is no risk of disappointment, except for the occasional rabbit or squirrel that could be a sudden major distraction. Once the behavior pattern is linked to the code word and triggering body language, the actual toy truly does no longer matter that much. As long as there is just some remote interest in the target, the training sequence will work. Drive for the toy, interest, and conditioning is a whole different topic that I will explain in other posts. I hope that you can find an incentive and inspiration in my thought process on how to work when things do not work – just do not forget about the dog!
There he was: sitting in a large dog crate, looking down the barn aisle; skin and bones, covered with mange (a bacterial skin infection causing open sores and hair loss); quietly, no noise, no move. His body looked horrible enough for some folks – admittedly, including me – were hesitant to even touch him. This puppy was seen strolling along the sides of roads and was picked up by one of the borders boarders of a horse farm where I was working as an interim trainer. I had never seen something like this, never been involved in an active rescue of the remotely heavier sort that would challenge human minds so severely. All I felt was total upset, sadness, and anger towards those who were such cowardly, inhumane characters by simply dumping this six-month-old creature somewhere, somehow, some place. I silently observed from a distance while the more experienced people around began to organize and then take charge. It was not the first time that a dog had been dropped, leashed to a tree or the gait, or had just wandered into the property of this horse farm or found nearby. The farm owners were known for historically giving first aid and selfless care to many rescue dogs. Looking at this quite banged up animal, there was this one thing that truly stood out to me and the one thought that almost instantly conquered my heart: it was the way the puppy carried himself, his inner demeanor, and the aura of mental strength lingering around his physical presence.
His hind legs were barely holding him up.
Slowly back to normal eating.
“He looked kindly and forgivingly at the humans around him, even eager to meet someone sitting there stoic and firmly. His weakened physical posture was a serious display of pride and royalty. His self-carriage was that of an unbroken spirit and his mind seemingly knew that he had made it, he had survived and was about to live.”
To me, his demeanor was admirable and heroic, a true reflection of Christianity. This was a religious lesson taught by an animal. He had not given up on humans, not lost any hope, and he had elevated himself far above the circumstances that brought him here. He had set one goal, a priority: to live. He acted without any anger, no aggression or frustration, simply friendliness and forgiveness. The simplicity of that was a very powerful message and one I will never forget.
One of the girls at the barn took this little dog out of the dog crate that was placed close to a horse-washing stall and began to bath him with warm water, shampooed his coat and skin with non-burning antiseptic horse shampoo, and towel dried him off. There was no noise, no movement, no resistance, no fear. The little fellow was displaying the most amazing behavior I had ever seen; being a lifelong animal trainer and person around all kinds of animals and situations, I truly have seen a lot. He simply enjoyed the gentle help and care.
Eventually, I asked one of the owners about the kind of dog he might be, to which she answered, “Well, it looks like a Pitbull-mix with some Labrador in it.” Coming from Germany, a country with strict regulations about dogs with Pitbull breeding, I instantly had a yellow light flashing in my head. The regulations in Germany for these breeds included wearing a muzzle at any public outing, a permanent ban for importing into the country, and a stigma of attacking and even killing people. The internal alarm I had was based on this information, all I really knew at that time. Needless to say, I was rather curious, suspicious, and slightly prejudiced for a moment. But then my animal trainer spirit took over. I have always favored the challenge of the seemingly impossible, always welcomed mental or physical quests to build up from distrust, harm already done, damaged spirits and hurt emotions. My favorite experience has always been to outperform together with an underdog… but this had all been within the horse world. And this was not my dog anyways. So, I kept an open mind, remembering that all that matters was participating in improving this dog’s condition and getting him back on track.
After the bath, the girls took turns taking him on very short walks. Finally at the end of the day, the crate was relocated to the barn office, padded with a large towel and a water bowl added. Due to the severely emaciated condition of this dog, food was only given in very small portions on a frequent basis. In fact, due to his very spontaneous arrival, there was not much of a dog food available. One boarder at the barn brought a couple cans of dog food as well as dry food later that day. Nobody was truly prepared for this kind of a find. That all changed quickly. The puppy was given a small heater (from in safe distance) as it was the very end of February at this time. A veterinarian appointment was already scheduled for the following day. He was safe in his crate with the future ahead of him.
My residence was a predetermined camper unit located alongside the hay barn, about 40 yards from the barn office. I had a routine of walking the barn and farm property at night and eventually I would be last and only person on the property. The routine was also to make sure that all horses were alright and anything else, such as turning lights off or checking on water buckets. I enjoyed the quiet evenings, just being outside.
I added a new stop to my routine. I went to the office door and just put my ear to it, but there was nothing to hear. It was just stunning to me how either exhausted or self-assured this little dog must have been. Even during the night and in the early morning hours of the following day, there was still nothing to hear. There was no indication of a very young dog in a totally strange environment with strange people locked up in a strange crate. Nothing. He never made a single noise.
A head. Never with any anger, aggression, or fear. There were almost no emotions at the beginning: only questions.
Conditions, what to look for and how to take precautions in regards to the runoff and take off area. Learning the effects of: daily traffic patterns of the facility, how crowded the facility is, location of the dock (mobile at AKC shows; local, indoors, and within city proximity), the type of client most frequently using the facility, and how the quality of management can influence the quality of the surface. Explanation of necessary basic safety steps to avoid one of the most common injuries in diving dogs resulting from high impact slipping: the dreaded Iliopsoas strain.
Early on in our career, I honestly did not pay much attention to the surface. We jumped a lot from natural grass shores and once in a while from some wooden fishing docks where there was not much of a run (length) to it nor a huge kick (special edge from which takeoff occurs). The natural wood surface gave enough support and traction with a placement of no more than five feet of the edge at best. If the wood was painted and wet, it then became slippery so we did not jump off of those docks. You must inspect the surface for any large gaps, cracks, or uneven boards as well as sharp, protruding objects. In our experience, running from the grass was, and still is, the very best and safest option; so in hindsight, we were just very lucky to have started training that particular way.
One of our favorite training grounds: safe natural grass. Ensure that water is deep enough with nothing right under the water surface.
In the fall of the 2019 season, my habit of not checking out the commercial docks dramatically changed. Bernhardt genuinely slipped during a training session from an indoor dock located in the Midwest that featured the identical surface as some mobile docks that can be seen at the AKC shows. As usual, we got up on the dock, which got him all excited and ready to play, then I threw the toy for him. From the back section of the dock where he accelerates (reaching over 20 mph!), next thing I knew he slipped in the take-off area near the edge of the dock, where he was catapulted into the water. After that slip and fall, he would still jump from that area, but the length in which he was jumping was reduced. I noticed that his jump lengths shortened by three feet the first time and averaged around the same length on the next few jumps, so I stopped right away. Two days later, we returned to the same dock and he would not jump at all. It was the very first accident that he ever had and the experience stamped on his memory. Not only his memory, but also his body. The Iliopsoas muscle, also known as a hip flexor muscle, is the target of negative experiences like this. All that I could think about was how the scar tissue of a tendon or muscle will never ever have the exact same strength, elasticity and durability than it was originally, even after a full recovery.
The day off that accident, we had a late appointment (5:30PM, the last time slot available) on a very busy day for that facility. The facility is located near a major city and has a ton of recreational traffic patterns inside, mainly dogs swimming but also a few top jumper dogs. I found that handlers using the facility would take their long-haired dogs, even in bundles of two or three at a time, and just launch them down the ramp, only to then let them return to the take-off area where they would shake off all the water on their hair. There was a spray of water and the dogs’ product-filled hair in close proximity to the take-off area. This process went on for 30 minutes, sometimes doubling those efforts and reaching up to an hour. During this time, the dogs would make up to 15 trips off the ramp and back, shaking off afterwards each time. This was not just happening one time, but multiple times a day. Many facilities have much more swimming facilities than actual jumping equipment, so it is important to be aware of the fact. This routine will clog up the carpet on the ramp! Combined with the limited drainage in the area, it is easy to predict that a dangerous buildup of water and hair on the ramp will create a hydroplane effect for the dog who is moving at high speeds on the surface. Due to the lack of ongoing high impact dynamics, most operators would rather tend to turn a blind eye concerning the safety of their carpets and ramp surfaces. Recently, there were multiple reports concerning a slippery carpet related to an outdoor championship level event that was run off of a mobile dock in October, 2020 in Georgia. These reports showed a focus on problems with the mobile docks that are frequently used at AKC breed shows. It is likely that the wear and tear on these mobile docks comes more easily from the high traffic of incidences that are described above. I remember one outing in which the water surface was covered in hair to the extent that I would just grab a toy used as a retrieve tool that had a net on it and pull the layers of other dogs’ hair off of it. All I could visualize was my toy receiving the open-mouthed breathing dogs plus the debris floating in the water around it.
In my three years of competitions and training sessions, I have seen a single facility owner/operator taking steps for increased safety during these high traffic conditions. Jay Crisman at WestRover Water Sports in Westover, Alabama would use breaks between the splash from a jump to sweep off the water with a strong leaf blower as well as dry off the dock surface. No surprise, he is also an excellent veterinarian.
Some facilities decided to invest in more expensive carpet material for their dock. One facility that stands out is Prime K9 in Winchester, Kentucky. They have a surface that is outlasts rainy conditions. The in-ground pool of the Tin Woof Inn in Frankfort, Kentucky has a superior carpet surface on their ramp.
So, the rule here is that when the carpet looks exactly like artificial green grass, one should check before sending their dog out to jump and be more alert, always. In my personal observation, I have found that none of the so-called “safer” surfaces actually look artificial green grass, and it must be surmised that the dock operator takes impeccable care of that kind of a surface.
Walk up to the edge of the ramp and slide your shoes over the spot, look for puddles of standing water, clumps of hair clogging the surface, and bring your own towel to use with or request a brush from the facility. It is your dog, your money paid, and it could soon be your vet bills or eventually even the end of your beloved dog’s career. Please do not be afraid to say something. You can really make a difference for yourself or another animal that loves to jump and is eager to please because they give their all for their owner. Believe me, watching your dog suddenly turn sour and stop doing what they once loved is an experience that you do not want to encounter, especially when it is easily preventable. In particular, a dog that is rather a heavy weight such as Bernhardt (about 72 pounds of muscle) or are very speed- and catapult-driven, the traction of the surface truly matters.
All the best, safe jumping, and do not forget the dog is first!
Cultivating and conditioning owners’ heads and pocket books versus scientific analytical pragmatic founded overall skill in the animal training industry.
In training and body conditioning, there are very few fundamentally correct ways of working the field. My own expertise and upbringing originate from a very disciplined, structured, systematic, observant, and analytical education background supported by federally implemented rules, laws, and guidelines. This education background includes ancient techniques that have successfully withstood even severe challenges of modernization. In fact, theology and evolution shows that animals were the first creatures on this Earth. The never-ending quest to learn by studying animal behaviorism, body expressions, biomechanics, and any other patterns there were as a means of observing and, more importantly, creating feel and sensation. I lived within the animal society much deeper than outside of it, and I have always loved it.
Based on a handful of recent personal experiences, I will provide a few examples to outline the difference in training or behavior studies. It is dramatically important to just not get a path working around horses, dogs, cats, or any other species for that matter.
A horse in the cross ties to have his hooves cleaned when sweat outbreaks, he beings shivering, or shaking his head. The first reaction is to looking at a trainer, farrier, veterinarian, chiropractor or bodyworker, and everyone’s respective equipment… The horse is not super excited, not joyfully looking forward to being shod, treated, cured, healed, ridden. Is he shaking because he cannot keep it together from having so much fun? If that is not the case, than it can be made to have fun…
A dog who is short haired, has no undercoat, is small and bony in size, lacks fat layers, and is older in age. He jumps into a body of water and is greeted by bracing cold temperatures in the mid-30’s. Though it was only a brief exposure, he suddenly decides that he does not want to get back into water again. He had been lured into a trap created by humans. He is not distracted by the busy environment and accidentally getting into the water, not disobedient, not incorrectly trained, not missing out on the calling of being a duck hunter. He simply might have just manged to survive.
A loyal senior citizen rescue dog falls off of the message table. Bless its heart, he tries to get back on the table. He is now rocked around by his shoulders, losing his balance. He should give up. He does and he is on the solid ground, stretching out his limbs, shaking, shivering, and panting. He is not desperately begging for more attention by doing whatever is necessary to receive it, not going through a mental healing process. The combination of the right placement and correct touch should create an almost instant calmness and sense of comfort.
Those are just three samples of the “Kool-Aid” business approach. It targets the owner or handler with just one perspective: control. We all have dreams and fantasies. We all fall for illusions here and there, thinking that we understand exactly what our animals are trying to tell us. We all are learning and mean well, which eventually opens the doors for “the Joneses.”
Quite often, just using our God-given natural intuitions we actually succeed in supporting our animals, even unknowingly. That outcome is based on a true phenomenon – there is no capitalizing involved. Not financially, not emotionally. There is good money to be made with animals working both for and with animals. And then there is bad money that comes from working against animals; using them for profit by manipulating the owner. A true animal person will always prioritize the well-being of the animal; by doing so, this will seemingly fail to please the human. That failure is indeed an illusion. The truth is that a good trainer or bodyworker or conditioner is willing to pay whatever price to make a world of difference for the sole benefit of the animal!
11-month-old Bernhardt at his very first Dock Diving event in August, 2018. Energetic, attentive, ready to go.
Bernhardt is one of the mixed breed dogs that the AKC has selected to post pictures of on their Instagram account that displays different disciplines. They shared photos of him in the early stages our career doing Air Retrieve; photo credit to Mark Baer. It is a feeling of pride and humbleness to be featured, but foremost happiness for all Staffordshire and Pitbull crosses. These dogs need to come into the right hands and have a job. It is the skill, feel, and willingness of the handler to never stop learning that forms the animal. One has to take pride in the actions taken to work with them. One can never stop trying to understand them and only those that can accept their own limitations and who are realistic when it comes to their own talent can truly create something of value.
