No tricks, no treats

If you didn't get a chance to see the Pawsitively Wild Pet show last week, you missed out. My kids thoroughly enjoyed it. That's not just because Doug Speirs and I modelled Cabela's winter wear while walking foster dogs. But rather, after years of me keeping them on their toes, it was fun for them to see me sweat.

Before I lost five pounds of sheer water weight, I took some time to chat with dog trainer Daniela Sodero from Hustle Up training. Sodero is the owner of Rudy, the canine co-star on Slice's television show At the End of My Leash. Rudy helps Brad Pattison, the trainer/star of the show, solve dog-related problems.

Hustle Up training teaches future dog trainers how to implement Pattison's philosophy. If you've seen Pattison in action, you know he can be gruff. Some of the owners balk at advice such as refraining from talking to your dog for a few weeks. To get results, however, he has to tell owners things they don't want to hear.

Owners need the bluntness, says Sodero. "We're humanizing dogs," she says. When owners allow their pets to live void of rules they do a disservice to the dogs, she adds.

Hustle Up training refrains from employing treats or clicker tools. They feel that dogs learn by body language. Sodero says, "You don't see mama coyote throw a treat to train her pups."

I'll take her word on that. The only wild thing I get close to is a butterfly.

Part of the philosophy calls for getting your pups outside. Being mentally and physically challenged is vital to their health and lifestyle. The trainers stress the importance of keeping walks fresh. Like humans, dogs can get bored.

This doesn't mean you should spoil them with more toys than a day care. Limiting dog toys allows canines to better differentiate between their toys and those of the children in the house. Sodero suggests three toys will suffice:

1) A fabric Frisbee (plastic ones can induce tooth chipping)

2) A stuffie (with sewn-in faces, void of extra pieces and stuffed with safe material)

3) A ball (not a tennis ball; it can wear teeth down)

Also, dogs are social creatures. Hustle Up training encourages owners to find their pups canine friends. Being around other humans and fellow canines enhances their lives and aids in socialization training.

Even though dogs are meant to be social, Sodero suggests that there are times we should keep them away from human activities. If you're about to host a children's party, she advises that you give dogs a good workout before the event. Better still, she recommends sending your canine to a friend's house. Doing this might prevent possible injury and ingestion of small toys or inappropriate foods.

Although the Hustle Up Training School is based in Kelowna, trainers come from all over the country. Kristin Watts is a Winnipeg-based certified trainer using Pattison's methods. Recently, I spoke with one of her students, Barbara Robson.

Robson put Lincoln, her miniature schnauzer, through the course. Lincoln would typically act out when Robson walked with her eight-year-old son to school. The dog would bark and lunge at others along the way. Walking Lincoln separately didn't makes sense to Robson.

Despite trying other methods, negative behaviour remained. The other courses stressed patience and the use of treats to encourage good behaviour. Lincoln is not interested in food. (That's something I just can't get. It's food! I'd roll over for a chocolate chip cookie. Then again, I rarely bark at strangers.)

Watts' eight-week course worked for Robson's dog. Lincoln no longer misbehaves on walks and the relationship between Lincoln and the rest of the family has changed.

"Before, my dog was part of the family... the top dog," says Robson. But after taking Watts' course, Robson reports that Lincoln is just part of her pack. They now see Lincoln as a dog -- one they love dearly, but a dog nonetheless.

Watts instructed her students to "expect more from your dog," says Robson. She asks more of the owners, too. Bi-weekly sessions includes homework that is expected to be completed before the following class. And don't be late. Your legs will never forgive you. After some students were habitually late, Watts put them through a training session that would rival a Bomber workout. No one repeated that mistake.

While Robson was pleased with the experience, and the results, she noted that training wasn't cheap -- $500 for 16 group classes -- but she felt it was worth it.

Now, the only time Robson sweats over taking Lincoln for a walk is if the weather is really hot.

For information about Kristin Watts' training service, contact 960-5825 or kristinwatts@shaw.ca.

Pet Calendar:

The Purina Walk for Dog Guides will be held on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Birds Hill Provincial Park. All the funds collected go to assist in raising, training and providing dogs for people with visual, hearing, medical, autism and physical disabilities. Come to enjoy refreshments, goodie bags, vendors, agility demonstrations and a silent action.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 11 a.m.

To register in this no-fee walk or find further information contact Bev at 444-2693 or Norm at 895-1607, or register online at www.purinawalkfordogguides.com

Leashed dogs welcome.

char.adam@mts.net

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 22, 2009 D5