April 2002

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“COME!” PART ONE

We all have the challenge of getting our dog to come back in the face more interesting distractions. Dogs are hardwired to do certain behaviors, like chase. At dog parks they get involved in these activities that are instinctual and self-rewarding. As responsible dog owners we want to ensure that we can get our dog back, not only for the safety of our dog, but for the benefit of others also. In order to do that we have to compete successfully with the self-rewarding behavior by developing another rewarding activity - the recall.

Dogs Obey The Laws of Learning
Recalling a dog to you is one behavior where you can clearly see the benefits of positive reinforcement. That's because dogs are obedient to the laws of learning - they do what works. They repeat behaviors that bring pleasant results, and avoid behaviors that don't. The golden rule is to positively reinforce behaviors that you want to continue, and this applies perfectly to the recall. Punishment should never be used with the recall. It creates suspicion in the dog, and thus makes the behavior unreliable. After all, if you called him and he came, he did what you asked, didn't he? Think of it this way, every time you deliver a reward (reinforcement) your adding $1 to a bank account, and every punishment is a $4 withdrawal. Improve your relationship and you improve your recall. You do that by becoming a reliable source of reinforcement.

Reinforcements can vary, but food is one of the primary reinforcers because it is something all dogs intrinsically want. Secondary reinforcers such as praise get their power through association with primaries, like food. Food reward is the best place to start when you're competing with other distractions at the dog park. An exception to that is if your dog aggressively guards food. Moving away from other dogs when you reward may be enough, but be very observant for such behavior. Always use small, bite-size treats (cut up larger treats before you come) and carry them in a pocket (you don't want them snagged by an opportunistic pooch). If you're dog is uninterested in your treats at the park you need to bring better ones. Don't be stingy, it does you no good. A high rate of reinforcement (frequent treats for example) keeps your dog excited to play the game, and that's what the recall (and all behaviors) should be, a game.

Checking In
The first step in getting more responsiveness from your dog at the park is a an easy one to implement. It will help build a strong relationship with your dog that will be essential when you ask for more. Simply reward your dog for checking in with you. Don't call her over, or try and manipulate her into coming over. Just wait until she's next to you and say "Hi! Good dog!", give her one treat and a pat on the head. That's it. They can go right back to playing. If they come back in one minute go ahead and do it again, after all they earned it - they checked in. By doing this the dog is learning that you are a trustworthy source of good things. This is the first step in getting the complete recall behavior, and you're doing it without risking anything. Next month we'll go into how to practice and improve the recall, and the time you've spent reinforcing this "checking in" behavior will have been invaluable.

Sources:

Purely Positive Training
by Sheila Booth

Culture Clash
by Jean Donaldson

ClickerSolutions.com

The Well Mannered Dog

Buy Training Treats from SitStay.com

NEWS ON NEW PARKS
Notes from the March 19th Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting

A public hearing was held to discuss off-leash access in two parks, Hawkview Park on Swallowtail Road and Glen Park in Cardiff.

Off-leash hours at Glen Park will be recommended by the Parks and Rec. Commission to the City Council. Specifically, the recommendations will be for off-leash hours of 6-7am, and two hours before sunset, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This access will be for the Eastern portion of the park only, with signs marking the boundary. Finally, this access will be for a six month probationary period. From what we were told by staff at the end of the meeting, the recommendations for Glen Park will not go to the City Council for a vote until all the possible parks have been discussed in public hearings. In other words, they will all be covered under one recommendation. We anticipate this recommendation going before the City Council in September or October. Thus, any proposed changes would not take effect until then.

The proposal for the fenced off-leash area in the Hawkview Park extension will not be recommended by the Parks and Rec. Commission to the City Council. While numerous residents who live near the park were against it, primarily citing the proximity to a children’s play area, traffic circulation was a significant factor in the commission’s decision against the fenced off-leash area. Swallowtail Road, which adjoins the park, is not a through street. Park users driving to the park would be likely to make u-turns when leaving the park. There is no room to add off-street parking to the site, and thus mitigating this situation would be difficult. The final decision will be made by the City Council.

The Parks & Rec. Commission will continue to hold public hearings on the other sites that PADZ has recommended. It’s imperative that for each public hearing we have dog park enthusiasts in attendance, and that the the Parks Commmission and the City Council hear from you either in person or in writing.

On April 16th the commission will be hearing public comment on proposed off-leash hours at Cardiff Sports Park. PADZ is recommending morning hours so as not to conflict with sports games and practices. We need supporters there to speak on behalf of off-leash hours, especially supporters who live near the park.

We also need everyone currently using off-leash hours at Orpheus and View Point parks to help us prove to the wider community that we are responsible dog owners who can manage such off-leash privileges. A few thoughtless owners can ruin it for all of us.

You can help!

Write to local newspapers and politicians.

Attend municiple meetings when dog parks are being discussed.

Help educate fellow park users on dog park etiquette.

THE GOLDEN RULES

Do you know the municipal laws governing off-leash use of Orpheus and View Point Parks?They’re posted at the parks, but many of us haven’t really read them, so here they are:

Unrestrained privileges may be revoked by city officials if owners fail to:

Have dogs licensed

Have dogs under direct and effective
voice control

Pick up & dispose of their dog’s feces

Prevent dogs from biting or harassing
a person or another animal

Prevent dog from interfering with another
persons park use rights

Keep dogs out of sand and landscape area

Enforced by County Animal Control Mun. Order 95-19

When these rules are broken it puts our use of these parks at risk. Please join in and help everyone retain this privilege, it’s the responsibility of each of us to help educate our fellow park users.