"When Pig's Fly: Training Sucess with Impossible Dogs" - Book Review

Training is a very important part of a relationship with a dog, especially one who is an adept food thief and an expert at ignoring owners when he feels like it. Training Tuesday is my weekly installment in my adventures with getting a Basenji, a notorious breed for not wanting to listen, to listen to me.  I use positive reinforcement and copious amounts of treats to bribe train Indiana so we can have a healthy relationship and my leftovers will stay on the table.  Advice and commiseration are always welcome because I am no expert.

"Only about 10% of dog training is about training any particular behavior, like sit, down, or come. The other 90% of dog training is about getting your dog in a frame of mind where he is willing and able to pay attention and learn. Your average Golden Retriever or Sheltie is in, or close to being in, the frame of mind necessary to learn behaviors. Your Pigs Fly dog is not. That is why, despite the fact that there are any number of very good positive dog training books which show you how to train the basics, like sit, down, and come, most people who own Pigs Fly kinda dogs cannot get their dogs to perform with any reliability. Their dogs are just not engaged in the process."

- Killion, Jane (2007-06-22). When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs (p. 16). Dogwise Publishing. Kindle

Getting a "Pig" to Fly

While taking training classes, I was often flustered at the pace that Indiana was supposed to learn something.  The space of a week was never long enough to cement something, even though I have a good amount of time to work with Indiana.  At the end of the eight week course, I was supposed to be able to command Indiana's attention without treats through his Good Canine Certification.  I ended up not even going to the final test because I knew I would fail, and I was embarrassed, even though I was pretty sure that none of the other dogs in the class were at a point any further along than Indiana.

I wanted to give credit to a great book, which taught me a fantastic lesson in patience and setting expectations too fast (although they can be very high given enough time.)  I think Jane Killion's "When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs" is a necessity for anyone who owns a dog that is "untrainable" (or "unbiddable" as her book phrases it.)  She emphasizes that any dog can be trained, even if they are a breed known for not listening.  The whole book is about understanding the sensibilities of a dog and not expecting it to react like a golden retriever when learning commands. Unbiddable dogs do things at their own pace, but are just as "intelligent" as any breed.  I don't always use a clicker, but the lessons in the book really break down training into achievable steps.

Indiana has been doing great at learning "Speak" and "Play Dead" and I am taking my time teaching them to him.  I'm hoping to take another stab at his Good Canine Citizen Certification in a few months.

Training Tuesday: Playing Dead

Training is a very important part of a relationship with a dog, especially one who is an adept food thief and an expert at ignoring owners when he feels like it. Training Tuesday is my weekly installment in my adventures with getting a Basenji, a notorious breed for not wanting to listen, to listen to me.  I use positive reinforcement and copious amounts of treats to bribe train Indiana so we can have a healthy relationship and my leftovers will stay on the table.  Advice and commiseration are always welcome because I am no expert.

Today is a late post for Training Tuesday.  I meant to run out to stock up on some more training treats after Indiana demolished the last of his puppy crack yesterday.  But, Denver got whopped with a morning storm of several inches and the city seems to have a moratorium on plowing in my neighborhood.  So, I eventually hunkered down and went through the fridge and cabinets for a replacement wet treat that I could feed him in bits.  I ended up with some grated cheese, which Indiana, of course, loved.

Because I know that Indiana won't yet "listen" to me when I want him to stop doing something, I like focusing on tricks that are entertaining to build that bond.  And I love a good play dead.

I think the "Bang" really is much better than "Play Dead."  So, that is what I'll eventually be aiming for.  I find Indiana responds better to hand signals, mostly because I can keep up the same hand signal for a long period of time, while he wags his tail and tries to figure out what I want.  (I've been using a "quack like a duck" hand signal for speak, which he is really catching on to.)

Breaking it down-
1. I start with Indiana in a "Down" position, where he tends to sit like a sphynx.
2. Then I shift him into his "Settle," so he doesn't have his legs tucked underneath him.
3. With my hand shaped like a gun (that sounds pretty bad), I gently nudge on his head until he puts his head on the floor and rolls totally over onto his side, hoping for a tummy rub.  It's important that he mostly moves by himself and is just getting a bit of pressure from me.  I want him to figure out I'd like him on the floor!
4.  When he is in full begging for a tummy rub position, he gets his audio reward (either a "click" or a "Good") and treat!

Mostly just posing.  We're not to the point where I can be that far away.

As we keep practicing I move my hand less and less, keeping it more still, so just seeing my signal is enough for him to know to roll onto his side.  Eventually, I'll be able to move my hand back and not start with him in a "Down."  I'll add the verbal "Bang" once he's got that down pat.  Indiana tends to mix up his verbal cues in excitement.

If I keep that up, one day, he'll listen to me without the promise of a treat!  The hardest part is not expecting too much from him and knowing when to slow down and go back a step when he is confused. 

Training Tuesday: Speaking up

Training is a very important part of a relationship with a dog, especially one who is an adept food thief and an expert at ignoring owners when he feels like it. Training Tuesday is my weekly installment in my adventures with getting a Basenji, a notorious breed for not wanting to listen, to listen to me.  I use positive reinforcement and copious amounts of treats to bribe train Indiana so we can have a healthy relationship and my leftovers will stay on the table.  Advice and commiseration are always welcome because I am no expert.

When I tell people I have a Basenji, their first reaction is either "A what?" or "Those are the dogs that don't bark right?"  As for the second question, the answer is a little more complicated than a lot of people think.  Sometimes, it is assumed that since Basenjis don't "bark" they don't make any noise at all.  This is definitely not the truth.  Basenjis are known for a trademark "yodel" or "singing" because their vocal cords have a slightly different formation than most dogs.  So, they still make noise just not the normal kind, and luckily with Indiana and our apartment situation, not too frequently either.

(This video sums it up pretty well. Skip to :28 for some real rooster Basenji crowing.) 

 

Indiana's name at the Colorado Basenji Rescue was originally Yodel with the tagline "his foster parents have never heard him bark, just happy yodels."  (We considered changing his name to Yoda, but decided we just had to name the dog Indiana.)

We later learned that Indiana's description wasn't quite right, because he does have a bit of a bark. It could be because of the Rat Terrier in him, but he likes short barks for most things and really only sings (or shrieks) when the Husband comes home from work. 

Now, we've been training him to do tricks since we got him and he is smart as a whip when food is involved.  With our trainer recommended "puppy crack," Indiana will try to figure out anything to get a bit.  Teaching him to speak has been my newest goal, after he fairly mastered "shake" and "spin."  This has been a bit of a pickle because of his fondness for silence and his desire to try every trick in the book when he isn't sure of what to do to get food in his mouth.

 So far, I've been able to work with his excitement for treats to get him initially speaking.  Then, I quickly say "Good" and give him a treat.  I've moved onto using a clicker because sometimes I'm too mentally slow to follow up quickly enough with a verbal gratification before his treat.  Indiana will play this game for about ten barks, with plenty of spinning, and then give up.  I'm hoping to have him know a hand signal in a couple of weeks and eventually the verbal command.  I just hope it doesn't backfire and he speaks for everything!

Indiana usually tries to "Spin" or find something to "Touch" to get a treat.

Today in Indiana Misbehaves - This morning, after I cleaned up Indiana's "business" on his walk, I turned around to find Indiana had something in his mouth.  Thinking it a chicken bone, which are constantly littered on the street in my area, I reached into his mouth to take it out.  The offending street munchie was one whole pigeon leg.  The rest of the pigeon was no where in site.

Is that grosser than anything your dog has eaten?