How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend

by Monks of New Skete

  We have provided a list and description of American and German titles and their abbreviations as an appendix. If you are interested in knowing the specifics of what each degree encompasses, we suggest going online to the AKC website for a detailed description of American titles, or the Working Dogs website (www.workingdogs.com) for links to full explanations and rules concerning non-AKC titles, such as Schutzhund degrees. Even though you may not know a specific dog's ancestry firsthand, an expanded pedigree will give you a good idea of the conformation, working ability, and hip status of an individual dog as well as his ancestors.

  Second, it is especially helpful to speak with your breeder or some knowledgeable person involved with the breed firsthand about the pedigree. It makes all the difference in the world when such experts can describe for you dogs they know or have seen, or are well known within the breed, particularly since the dog fancy has grown substantially over the years. There are so many dogs shown and competing these days that it is hard even for the professional to keep track of them, not to mention ordinary dog owners.

  As a typical AKC-certified pedigree does not display Special Breed Parent Club degrees and foreign titles, the information it provides the non-fancier may be incomplete. For example, in the sample pedigree "ROM" after the maternal great-grandfather's name indicates Register of Merit, certifying that this stud has produced a significant number of champions. This important information does not appear on the AKC pedigree. Similarly, in the father's name, V Nutz Vom Holtzapple SchH III, V is the German symbol indicating that he was a champion (Victor) in Germany, and "SchH3" shows that he earned his Schutzhund III title, a prestigious and demanding degree demonstrating a dog's mastery in the fields of obedience, protection, and tracking. Schutzhund has three ascending degree levels, I–III; III indicates a very accomplished dog. On an AKC-certified pedigree, that information would not appear and we would have no way of knowing the precise working ability of the dog. This is particularly meaningful in breeds for which many dogs have been imported into this country and are being used as studs, such as the German shepherd dog, rottweiler, Doberman pinscher, and Bouvier des Flandres.

  Naturally, the more information a breeder provides on the ancestral background of your pup, the better idea you will have of her potential in whatever areas of training and working you may be interested in. For example, it is helpful to know that the mother also has her CGC (Canine Good Citizen degree), which shows a dog's suitability for being incorporated into the everyday life of the owner. Less formal than the CD degree, its purpose is to demonstrate a dog's mastery of more practical issues of companionship that spring up in everyday life. Seeing this provides an important clue as to how well the pup will acclimate to domestic life. Just because a dog has several working degrees in her ancestral background does not mean that she will fit easily into your life. The activity level of such a dog, ideal for working, may be difficult in a domestic situation. Notice also that in an expanded pedigree the further back in ancestry you go, the more general the information is. This is because of space considerations. In later generations a breeder will indicate information deemed more important.

  An AKC-certified pedigree is limited to the following:

  ■ a registration number. Each breed's registration number starts with a different letter. For example, German shepherd registration numbers begin with DL. A date appearing after the registration number (e.g., 10-98) refers to the month and year when the dog's first breeding experience was registered in the Stud Book Register. It is not the date of birth. The Stud Book Register, published monthly by the AKC, contains the pedigree of a dog that has been used at stud, or a bitch that has whelped a litter for the first time.

  ■ whether the dog or ancestor was a champion (CH before the name indicates recognized conformation excellence within the breed) and/or any other AKC-recognized titles an individual dog may have earned. For example, the mother, Ally, has a CD (Companion Dog) title after her name, indicating that she has mastered the basic obedience exercises off leash by successfully achieving a base score at an AKC obedience trial.

  ■ whether the dog's hips have been certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). An OFA number describes the dog's hip status. Dogs with OFA numbers have been certified as being free of hip dysplasia, a major health problem in dogs. For example, OFA32G would mean that the dog was OFA certified at thirty-two months of age with a "good" rating (E=excellent, G=good, F=fair). Certification can be made only for dogs twenty-four months and older. In the sample pedigree, the presence of substantial OFA numbers in this dog's ancestry indicates that the hip background is very good. We should also point out that on the father's side, the German equivalent of a passing hip evaluation is the "a" stamp. Again, the paternal ancestors have strong hip backgrounds.

  ■ whether the dog's elbows have been certified as being free of elbow dysplasia. For example, OFEL28 would mean that the dog's elbows were certified at twenty-eight months of age. German pedigrees do not indicate this.

  ■ a dog's color (sometimes). For example, "Blk & Tn" after the OFA number indicates that the dog's color is black and tan.

  ■ a CERF certification, if the dog has one. The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) works with canine eye specialists who look for evidence of any of a variety of genetic eye diseases. This is important for some breeds such as Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and collies that have a particular propensity to such eye problems. The CERF certification means that the dog will be free of specific problems for one year from the date of the examination.

  ■ a DNA profile number, if the dog has one. This is increasingly expected of male stud dogs and guards against fraudulent breeding.

  Thus, in reviewing the sample pedigree, there are some conclusions that can be drawn immediately. The pup of this pedigree, a German shepherd from both German and American background, comes from solid working and obedience lines. On his mother's side he has an impressive show background that will affect his general conformation. The mix between German and American ancestry will likely produce a pup who isn't severely angulated, and the fact that he has OFA and "a" stamps extensively on both sides suggests that his hips have a good likelihood of being sound. DNA profiling in the parents attests to the authenticity of the breeding. We can determine that the breeding was an outbreeding, which means that it involved two dogs that were unrelated, as opposed to a linebreeding, which attempts to concentrate the genes of a specific ancestor in order to accentuate positive characteristics of that dog by having that ancestor appear multiple times in the pedigree. It is preferable for linebred ancestors to appear on both the mother's and father's sides of the pedigree. When you see such a linebreeding in a pedigree of a pup you are considering, you would likely wish to question the breeder about the rationale for such a breeding.

  Another question provoked by this pedigree would be how adaptable the pup would be to the home environment of the new owner. Although this is an impressive pedigree, it also indicates that this pup has a high potential for working activities. How active does the owner intend to be with this dog? The fact that the mother, Ally, has a CGC is a good sign of the pup's adaptability to domestic life; however, the working potential will need to be exercised since the dog will likely be quite active. If the owner does not meet this need conscientiously, the dog may develop problem behavior related to boredom and poor handling.

  Pedigrees point to potential capacities, elements contributing to the mystery of a dog's individuality. Often we find ourselves looking into the eyes of the German shepherds we love and seeing more than the individual dog, looking down the corridors of five, ten generations and more, reaching back to an ancestry of planned genetics that has shaped this animal.

  We know, too, that dogs are happiest doing what generations of selection have developed in them. Look for determination and stamina in a bloodhound, a soft mouth on the retriever, speed and vision in the basenji, Afghan, and Irish wolfhound. Give your potential pup an aptitude test, but k
now that behavior patterns — reaction to external stimuli — are largely inherited. The correct environment, socialization, and TLC are up to you.

  8

  Where to Find Training

  There are a number of methods for training your dog, each requiring a strong commitment on your part to be successful. You can do it yourself with the aid of books and/or instructional videos, you can attend obedience school with your dog, you can work privately at home with a professional trainer, or you can send your dog to an established training school. Though the number of people seeking professional help to train their dogs has risen steadily over the years, by far the most popular method is to do it yourself with or without books and videos. Chances are, if you are reading this book, you might be interested in training your dog this way. This might be the first, or the tenth, book you have read on dog training in your efforts to get help.

  Training manuals can be of great value, and it is possible to train your dog alone. For some, the home method is the only possible course because of financial, geographical, or time considerations. But a better method is to combine reading and practice at home with another type of training, either public or private.

  Doing It with Books

  If you must train your dog yourself, try this method. Get at least three of the training books suggested in the Select Reading List and one video series, preferably one connected with one of the books. For instance, try reading this book (along with viewing our video series) and then follow up by reading two other books, one by a woman trainer and one by a man. All three books will probably cover the same basic exercises, although fewer training books cover problem behavior, as this one does. Nevertheless, the subtle (or not so subtle!) nuances in training techniques will broaden your perspective and help you be more flexible toward the specific needs of your dog.

  Do not attempt to train your dog with an open book in one hand and a leash in the other. It just doesn't work. Instead, begin by reading one book cover to cover and viewing the companion video. The video is a crucial supplement to the reading, as it lets you see the training exercises fleshed out with a number of different dogs as many times as necessary. Next, read the second book all the way through. Compare the two methods and reflect on them in light of what you know about your own dog. Try to visualize yourself working with your dog so that you become increasingly familiar with the process. If you're in a hurry to begin training as quickly as possible, the third book can be read while you are actually training, but it's best to read all three before you take out the leash and begin a session with your dog.

  This is exactly how we began to train at New Skete. Since we had no immediate access to obedience clubs, we took each training book with a grain of salt, reading it critically and applying techniques selectively. Meanwhile, our monastery full of dogs served as an indispensable "lab" for testing and perfecting training techniques.

  So if you can't get to a training school or can't leave your dog with a professional to be trained, take heart — you can still train your dog very well. Just be sure to read more than one book, and be aware that the video condenses a month's worth of consistent training into a one-to two-hour-long presentation. Videos are meant to be viewed and reviewed, section by section, as many times as necessary. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that your dog will be trained as quickly as looks to be the case in many a video. Patience, repetition, and realistic expectations are key. Think about the techniques and underlying philosophy in the approaches you use. There are also several excellent periodicals that deal with dog training (see Select Reading List). It might be good to subscribe to one or more — if only during the period of time you are training your dog. Dog training is an evolving field, and no one author has all the answers. Read, reflect, and then begin training.

  Obedience Classes

  The obedience school in the park is the second most popular method of training and is a viable option for many dog owners, especially if they take their dogs at a young age. Try to find a trainer who specializes in KPT (kindergarten puppy training) if you have a young dog. Many trainers will ask you to wait to enroll your dog in school until he is six, seven, or eight months old. But this might be too late for some dogs, since behavior patterns are set by then. Don't be put off by the "I'm sorry, your dog is just too young" routine. Inquire specifically about KPT. In the past twenty years KPT has become increasingly recognized as a valuable socializing and preliminary training program for younger puppies, and trainers everywhere acknowledge how such training pays off in the long run. As breeders and trainers, we know that training can begin as early as two or three weeks! There are adult brain waves present in the brain of a three-week-old puppy. KPT trainers are willing to work with your dog the second or third month of his life.

  If you have an older dog, you may also wish to enroll in an obedience class. Keep in mind, however, that even though obedience classes remain a convenient and economical way to train dogs, there are a number of qualifying factors to consider. Our experience has been that in the beginning stages of formal obedience training, classes are not as helpful as training your dog yourself or working with a private trainer, since the class setting is inevitably a highly distracting environment. Just imagine fifteen owners, each with a spirited, out-of-control dog at the end of a leash, valiantly trying to pay attention to the trainer's instructions, and you see the difficulty. Ordinarily,

  For the dog who has had basic obedience training, distractions can be of enormous benefit in reinforcing the training.

  the dogs are so focused on one another that it is extremely difficult to recoup their attention without a lot of force and yelling. That can make training unpleasant and unproductive.

  Dogs learn best when they can focus their attention completely on the trainer, in a quiet, distraction-free environment. With nothing competing for the dog's attention, it is much easier to bring the dog to a basic understanding of the standard obedience exercises. Then, having reached that point, classes become particularly helpful. For a dog with rudimentary to advanced basic obedience skills, there is real value to working amid a lot of distractions: it can increase the dog's training abilities, socialization, and level of attention. Obedience classes help reinforce the exercises your dog knows (proofing) and prepare her for the many spontaneous distractions of everyday life.

  In any event, if you do decide to enroll in a class, make sure you can attend all the sessions. This usually means an eight-to-twelve-week commitment, and it is understood that you will be practicing each day on your own with your dog between classes. Particularly if you are just starting out with your dog, one absence can put your dog behind the others in the class, so approach each class seriously and try to be on time, ready for instruction. You must be attentive and alert. Since the instructor is working with a large number of people, it might not always be possible to repeat information or answer every question. Try to find a small class of five to ten people if you can. Most classes begin with an introductory session without the dogs. This session usually prepares the owners for upcoming classes and includes registration and other paperwork, such as vaccination records. You might be asked to sign a waiver concerning any accident that might involve you and your dog. During the initial session, some trainers may comment philosophically on their ideas of training. Be sure to take notes, and read and reflect on them at home. The initial class is no less important than the sessions with the dogs, and occasionally more so. If a trainer never says anything that hints at an underlying philosophy of training, or gives no indication that his or her program has an ethical base, think twice about that particular instructor.

  Finding a Good Trainer

  Finding a good trainer can be a difficult but rewarding search. The first class should give you an idea of what caliber instructor you are dealing with, but by then you might have already plunked down your tuition. It's better to first check up on your area trainers with local training clubs, veterinarians, and friends who have already had their dogs trained. Yo
u may also wish to consult Internet resources for nearby trainers who are members of ethically based associations such as the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or the International Association of Canine Professionals or who have been certified by the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). Next, meet the trainer personally before you go to the first class; however, be sure to make an appointment before you go. You may take your dog, but don't ask for an actual evaluation or training session unless you are willing to pay for individual tutoring. Your initial visit should be short. Introduce yourself and your dog. Explain to the trainer what your needs are and what you hope to accomplish with the training. Try to determine whether the class will meet these expectations; size up the instructor's reaction and level of interest. This initial meeting, however brief, should tell you a lot. Another possibility is to attend a class the instructor is conducting and watch the progress from the sidelines, minus your dog. Observe how the trainer works with both dogs and handlers. Does he or she encourage the handlers? How does he or she interact with the dogs? Does he or she appear unduly harsh and punitive? Does he or she stop to answer questions? Are his or her instructions loud, clear, easily understood? Do the dogs and handlers look bored? Does he or she talk too fast?