Channeling Ken (Ramirez)

One of the things that has really stuck with me from the Clicker Expo was such a small thing. A very basic idea, but it sounded so simple and effective. It was the way Ken Ramirez, head trainer at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, moves through a training session.

He keeps sessions fast and streamlined. There was video of him with one of the sea lions. In it, he asked for behaviors every few seconds. On a success, the animal got a click, a reward, and a new cue. On a failure, he would pause for just a moment, really just a few seconds at most, then carry on with the session as before. No 'No Reward Marker' (NRM), no disengagement from the animal, just an instant of stillness.

Ken described it as giving the learner a chance to realize that there was going to be no reward, consider the events, and then move on without undue stress. An NRM can cause an animal to worry, or even shut down, if used inappropriately. And disengaging from the the session is pretty self-defeating, not to mention it leaves the poor animal wondering what it did that was SO BAD that the trainer doesn't want to play any more.

I had not consciously integrated this style into my training sessions before. Partly because I was afraid I would confuse the dogs, and partly because I wasn't sure I could be consistent with a new style. Tonight, though, it just happened organically. And you know what? It felt really good.

Sadie has a habit of throwing behaviors (and herself) at me when she gets excited during training. The little pauses seemed to give her a chance to re-collect and to re-focus. Somewhat less mauling and lots of successful behaviors resulted. Plus, she seems to like the fast-paced requests.

Maxwell is ridiculously alert and intense during sessions, but is also a very soft dog. I once accidentally shut him down with a gentle NRM (not even used intentionally). Using the slight pauses, though, seemed to really give him a chance to recognize a mistake without obsessing over it. We would simply move on to a few different behaviors and try again later. Often getting it right on the second try!

A successful training night, with happy dogs.

Warm And Fuzzy

I've got two heartwarming articles for you today.

The first is an excellent example of dogs' benefits to science. Who knew a Lab could smell whale poop from a mile away?!?! Even better, it sure sounds like the pooch was trained with positive reinforcement.

The second article made just a little bleary-eyed, thinking of all the animals this guy has helped rescue. Imagine modifying your personal airplane just so you can fly homeless pets around the country! Give this guy, and others like him, a medal. (Here's a link to the organization he flies for)

Trials Are Rough

Mmmmm... Strawberry!

Breeding And Animal Welfare

I can across a truly amazing BBC documentary, “Pedigree Dogs Exposed”, via the Whole Dog Journal. The entire documentary is available online here or via YouTube (in 6 pieces, starting here). I found the film eye-opening, to say the least.

The breed standards, and therefore the dogs being produced to show, have often seemed odd to me. Many breeds (Labradors, for one) are becoming stumpy, bulky versions of their ancestors. Consider the dog shown below at Westminster (2010):

Source: http://www.goldenmoonlabs.com/

For comparison, the dog below looks an awful lot like Sadie... and like I expect a Lab in general to look:

Source: http://www.savedbydogs.com/2011/12/labradors-english-bench-and-american.html

I find it difficult to imagine her bounding effortlessly through a field of tall grasses to fetch a downed bird. She seems to me, admittedly not an expert, to be too heavy for a full days’ work. And those short legs must get tired.

Different breeds obviously have different physical exaggerations, and therefore different health issues. And based on the documentary, it sure sounds like breeders in the UK truly believe that these mutations are in the best interest of the breeds. At the very least, they turn a blind eye to the long term view, focusing instead on winning in the show ring. Excess wrinkling, tightly curled tails, and droopy eyes win the blue.

What I hadn’t considered, though, were some of the more egregious problems. Basic health issues like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel not having enough room in it’s skull to hold it’s brain. (Ouch!) Or the ridge on a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback being due to a mild form of scoliosis. And imagine that this spinal deformity is the defining characteristic of the breed! The documentary touches on many other health concerns, but those two really stuck with me.

Another fascinating thing about the film was that it showed pictures and paintings of several breeds from 50, 75, 100+ years ago. Imagine my surprise to see daschunds with legs, bull terriers with normal snouts, and pugs with actual dog-shaped faces. The vintage images were absolutely recognizable as the same breed, but looked much more functional.

I recommend you also check out the associated blog. The prose can be over-dramatic at times, but it stops short of being alarmist. A critical reader will find much of interest and value in the information provided. I know I did!

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I wrote this post mid-day. By the time I got around to finalizing it in blogger and posting, this news came in from a friend via Facebook. The Kennel Club (European sibling of the AKC) has effectively banned merle-merle breeding in several breeds! This is wonderful news, and I hope to hear that the breed list will be expanded. To me, the most notable absence from the list is the Aussie.