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“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” - Winnie the Pooh We all try our best. I know I do. We try to give our dogs a good life, make them happy, and help them feel safe and secure. We work through behavioral issues as best we can. We read books. We watch videos and tv shows about dog trainers and behaviorists, each vilifying the others, everyone contradicting each other. So who’s right? Your dog. Your dog is constantly communicating with you. You need only to be sensitive enough to notice what they are trying to tell you. Then suddenly it becomes crystal clear. Take away the background noise, turn off the tv, put down the book, and pay attention to who has the best information on what your dog needs: your dog. Things Your Dog Wishes You Knew 1) We are simple. We don’t apologize for being simple, just as we don’t apologize for being dogs. We will never understand your human need to over-complicate the most simplest issues. We are not stupid, but we do prefer being in the moment. We don’t worry about what may happen tomorrow. We are your best friend. We mean you best friend…you know, the kind that will tell your that the outfit your wearing does indeed make your butt HUGE. We don’t worry about giving offense because we never take offense. We love you enough to never be anything but sincere. Now please go change your outfit. 2) We are always trying our hardest. I know I sometimes get anxious and nervous when I see another predator dog while we’re out on a walk. I don’t mean to be a jerk, I’m really just afraid that vicious creature puppy might try to kill you. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that you’ll protect both of us. I’m not trying to be bad, I’m actually trying my hardest to be the best body guard/friend I can be. 3) I ask a lot of questions. Please answer them. You may think they’re stupid, but they mean the world to me. So seriously, now, is the mailman trying to kill us? If you’d just answer the question, I could stop barking. 4) We don’t understand punishment. We understand “yes” and “no”. When I understand that the answer to my question about chewing on your shoes was “no”, please let it go. We don’t understand punishment or discipline. If it makes you feel better to punish me, though, then I love you enough to let you. But it confuses and frightens me. I’d feel much better if you’d just answer my questions and move on. 5) Give me what I need, and I’ll do anything you want. All I need from you is the basics for life, and some Piloting, Activity and Work. Don’t pick and choose when giving me what I need. Give me all those things I need, and I’ll do anything you want, like, stop chewing on your shoes, for instance. If nobody Pilots me, then I guess I have to do the job myself. I really don’t want to be a leader and Pilot everyone, though. Please don’t make me. 6) Keep me forever. I’ve only got a short time to live compared to you, please let me live it with you. I can’t help that I shed, or that the new apartment you want won’t let me in. It frightens me not to have a home, and it takes a toll on me each time I’m bounced from home to home. I would give me life for you. I ask only that you never turn me away, and keep me always by you. 7) And then let me go. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I tried not to get old, but it’s hard for me to walk well, and it’s too much for me to come bounding up to greet you like I used to when I was younger. I know you tried your hardest as well. You took me to the vet’s office regularly, and made sure I had a good diet and exercise, but now it’s time for me to go. Who thought we’d have this long together? I’ll be okay. I promise you. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

I'm taking away "perfect" so you can be good. - Kerry Stack The other day my mother was at my house. She started telling me about a recent jaunt to the park she had with her dogs. While she was walking along one of the many trails, she saw a gentleman with a beautiful German Shepherd ahead of her suddenly veer off-path and patiently wait with his dog about 20 feet into the brush. Apparently he called out to her, asking her to please pass him by, as his dog was dog-reactive. My mother, being…well, my mother, proceeded to call out some advice about dog-reactive dogs. The gentleman merely nodded and mentioned he is a dog trainer himself. Because…MOM “Well, he’s apparently not that great of a trainer if he had to pull his dog off-trail like that”, my mother quipped to me during the re-telling of the story. I completely disagree. I think it’s perfect. The Holy Trinity of Darwin Dog’s philosophy is Piloting, Activity and Work (or the PAW Method). You can’t take any of those three components away from a dog and live a happy, balanced life with them. Think of those three things as ingredients in the best recipe you're ever going to make. In order to create that recipe, you need a few tools. Maybe a mixer, a spatula, etc. Those tools you need can be likened to the three steps you take when working with a dog: 1) Control yourself. 2) Control the situation. 3) Answer your dog’s questions. In other words, The PAW Method is utilized with the three steps listed above. Yet for some reason, everyone neglects Step 2: Control the situation. They just continue on to: Ludicrous Speed. In other words, you’re preparing to fail. Preparing for a situation doesn’t mean you don’t have control of the situation. It’s called preparing, not failing. Stepping off trail was probably the smartest thing that the owner of the Shepherd could have done: plan ahead. If you can’t control the situation, or don’t feel confident in an upcoming situation (i.e., another dog heading towards your reactive dog), it’s okay to move backwards. Progress isn’t always a forward-moving thing. For some reason we humans feel that unless we are doing something perfectly, we aren’t doing it well. I beg to differ. For example, I have a friend who at 5’5″ weighed in at close to 300 lbs. While she’s always been a beautiful person, she wasn’t a happy person and decided to make some changes. So she went on a diet and got active, and simultaneously worked on self love. So far she’s lost about 75 lbs (!) – a very impressive achievement, in my opinion. However, to the average passer-by, they may still look at her and think she’s fat, and needs to go on a diet. They may think upon hearing that she’s already on a diet, that it isn’t working. They’re wrong. It’s called “working” for a reason….because it ain’t done yet. I’m proud of my friend. Yes, she’s had some setbacks (stagnating weight while still dieting, putting on a few pounds again), but she’s determined to make progress, and she has, and continues to do so. I’m also proud of that man I will never meet who understood what his dog needed, and understood the difference between progress and perfection. Yes, it’s annoying to have a dog who is dog-reactive. It’s frustrating to see others judging your dog based on what they see, yet not able to see how far you’ve come. Hard work and patience may have brought that dog to the point where they are now, but what the public sees is a dog who needs to be removed from the trail where he will (calmly sit) as another dog passes by. To those of you who realize that the goal is progress, not perfection, I tip my hat to you. Keep at it. You’re doing it right. Keep Calm and Pilot On. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. - Ben Franklin So you’ve decided to add a pet to the family. You’ve determined that adopting is the best way to go. Now what? Shelter? APL? What do you do? First come up with your list of wants vs. needs. Ever walk into a car dealership to buy a car, but have no idea what you want? Manual, stick? SUV or sedan? Nope? Didn’t think so. And bear this in mind: most people put more thought into precisely what they want in a car than what they want in a dog, yet they will swap cars every 5-6 years, whereas a dog will last upwards of 13 years! So how do you make sure you have your forever dog? Let's break it down. Decide if you want to go through a shelter or a city/county kennel. Shelters are sometimes able to foster their dogs, meaning you would be able to see the dogs in a normal home environment, or at the very least, not terrified and acting contrary to their nature in a kennel. (Let’s face it, those places can be very scary.) Remember, those aren’t other dogs or pack member in those kennels…those are other predators. They don’t know those other dogs, and haven’t bonded with them. Think about how you’d be acting on your first day if you were sent to prison. Yeah. Understand that dogs currently residing in shelters are only exhibiting a fraction of their true personalities. Just like humans, some dogs adjust to these situations a little easier than others. Things to look for: Dogs who come to the front of the cage may be less fearful in general, but again this is a unique situation. If someone were to judge my disposition based solely on watching me drive across the Valley View Bridge, well….let’s just say it wouldn’t be accurate. Dogs who calmly come up to you in a slightly submissive fashion (ears slightly down, body in a slight letter “S” rather than an ultra-submissive or ultra-hyper fashion. Dogs with wiggle-butts are great (looking at you pitties!). Dogs who have been there for a amount of time I consider the “sweet spot”. A dog who just comes into the shelter is going to be traumatized (What is this place? What’s all this noise? Who are these people?!). Let them have an adjustment period of a day or two. After a bit, they’ll know that, while the kennel is scary, it’s not mind-blowingly terrifying anymore. You’re more apt to get a read on their real personality. But remember what being in a cage for a while can do to a dog. Dogs who have been there a while can get cabin fever. This is not a natural state for the dogs, but remember, they’ve been isolated and scared for a while now. It takes a toll on the psyche. Yes, these dogs can indeed still make great pets, but be realistic: this will be a forever dog, not the dog you adopt because he’s been there so looooong! Stick to your “shopping list”. Ask the employees, but don’t be persuaded into taking a dog. A good kennel worker/volunteer tend to get attached to their animals. They can give you great information on which dogs may be best for your situation. Unfortunately, that attachment may cause them to inadvertently try to talk you into a dog. If you’re not “feeling” that dog, move on. "Here’s cage No. 666. This guy is my favorite. Don’t let him fool you, he’ll be fine once you get him home." Remember, you brought your list of wants and needs. Share it with the workers and let them know you are indeed sticking to the list. Unfortunately, there is no magical formula for adopting a dog from a kennel. If there were, odds are kennel wouldn’t be needed anymore because every dog would fit into their new home perfectly. Go with your gut, but make a rational decision, not an impulsive one. And then take the necessary steps to make the transition from kennel to home as smooth as possible. And always remember, keep calm, and Pilot on. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog training in Cleveland, Ohio

It's a beautiful day; don't let it get away. U2 I stumbled upon this post, written in February of 2016, while perusing my old site. Obviously, a lot has changed since I wrote it. Somehow it seems even more pertinent today than when I wrote it all those years ago. This time of year can kinda suck if you have asthma. Which I do. I’ve got an upper respiratory infection on top of it. I’m miserable. I feel like death warmed over. Then I realized that I was being stupid. The temperature is 53 degrees – warm for Cleveland (or the Arctic Tundra, but I repeat myself). The sun is shining. It’s an okay day for hiking, or at least going for a short walk with my best friend. And here I was squandering it feeling sorry for myself, which is what I’ve been doing or the past 2 days. Yes I’m legitimately sick. But that doesn’t negate my dogs’ need for activity. I’ve been cutting corners and exercising the easy ways, using the treadmill for Orion, and a backpack plus some minor agility for Sparta, but nothing really beats a good walk. Sunshine only adds to the benefit. It was time for me to suck it up and go outside. But I still don’t want to. Then I saw an update in the mail from my dog’s vet, reminding me that Sparta was due for her rabies shot. I looked through her medical records to verify, and stumbled across something that I’d forgotten: Sparta is 7 years old. Now, that’s not such a big deal. She’s not old (yet), but it did make me stop and reflect. Most dogs live to be roughly 13 years old. That equals only 676 weekends. So far she’s almost exactly halfway through that allotment. So technically speaking, she only has 338 weekends left with me. That means, at the very most, we are down to 169 weekends to drive that hour down to Bow Wow Beach, so I can watch her swim. We only have so many hikes left together. Only so many more times she can jump into the backseat of my car without help. And there I was, squandering this time because I have a cold. Sometimes we think of dogs in human terms, including how much time we’re given together. At 39 years my young(ish) age, I still have a lot of time left. We tend to include our dogs in that time because we assume that they’ll always be there. But there is a set amount of time with them. Perhaps 676 seems like a lot of weekends to romp with with your dogs. Enough time to do do anything you want. But I’ve already used up half of those with Sparta. It made me think. I train so many dogs in a week, sometimes it felt that my own dogs were always last on the list for my attention. It made me, well… So I took my dogs for a walk. Not far. Just far enough to change my perspective. Which was far enough to make me want to hike even farther. I’m not going to waste today anymore. ****** As you may already know, I didn't quite have that much time left with Sparta. She left us this last winter to join the others we have lost across the rainbow bridge, at the age of 12. Her best friend in our house, our cat, Echo, left us to join her on the journey not even a month later. And my beloved Orion left us in December 2021. But I'm grateful for all the 676's we were able to have together. I'm grateful for my more recent furmily members I have, Ellis, my pittie I foster failed in 2020, and Arwen, my Border Collie I rescued in 2022. And now I take that walk that I didn't want to (and feel better for it). I play a few rounds of fetch with Arwen (even though I have so many other things I need to get done). I take a few extra time every day to snuggle Ellis. Because as my wise grandmother, who raised 7 children of her own, told me once: Your kids won't remember if your house was clean, but they will always remember that you always had the time to read a book to them. I don't remember if Grandma Parobechek's house was clean, but I do remember she always had time for me, along with her 21 other grandchildren. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

"Control yourself, control the situation, start communicating - Kerry Stack" I received the most fascinating message today via Darwin Dogs' chat: It’s clear you mean well in terms of wanting to treat dogs with kindness, but the amount of pseudoscience you’re just making up here is disturbing. You use terminology incorrectly, you ascribe characteristics to dogs that they simply do not possess. Creating your own terminology like “piloting” isn’t groundbreaking, it’s dangerous. It makes people think you have expertise you simply do not. Your blogs are full of errors that you would recognize if you’d done the work to really engage in canine behavioural analysis. If you want to really excel and really do what’s best for dogs, stop, go get your cpdt, iaabc, or kpa certification and come back. But the fact that anyone can randomly call themselves a trainer by writing some meaningless blogs is what’s wrong with the dog industry today. There’s a reason why so many countries require actual certification—and your website makes that clear. Dogs are not children, and a good trainer knows that they don’t know enough about dogs to go it alone and simply declare themselves a trainer based on personal experience. That’s why they go to school. Be humble enough to recognize that the thousands of trainers teaching canine behaviour who have dedicated their careers to studying it know more than someone who just happens to own dogs and likes training them. - Name Redacted Well lookey what we have here. So the fact of the matter is that no, I don't have cpdt, iaabc, or kpa certification. What I do have is a lot of clients who previously utilized trainers who did have those certifications. So at the end of the day, all I care about is creating a goal of less anxiety, which is typically the reason for most behavioral issues. That goes double for the dogs. So let's talk about how we can achieve that goal. I would like to focus today on aggression, and how anxiety leads to aggression. Starting with our little darling, Name Redacted. Our precious little Name Redacted not only took the time to peruse my entire website, but send me that personal message and took the time to write nastygrams on quite a few of my posts. So let's break apart that behavior by comparing it to "aggressive" dogs. I firmly believe that aggression is merely fear/anxiety turned outwards. For example, average Joe, calls me with an "aggressive" dog, who we'll call Benji. Poor Beni, the border collie, has been nipping at people as they enter the home. Also quite a bit of snapping and growling going on from Benji (Joe didn't growl or snap even once!). So most people would take this dog as a potential threat (which he is) and that he wants to be aggressive (which he doesn't). The root of the problem is that Benji is scared and anxious. He wants to know who this person is who has just walked in the door. He doesn't know if his family is in danger. Benji is given no direction nor answers by Joe other than the mewling sounds of, "It's okay, Benji...this is a friend. See?" which obviously doesn't help Benji calm down, but merely does the reverse. Joe sounding like a wounded kitten only amps up Benji, who starts barking louder. The human at the door, trying to help the situation, offers to make friends with Benji by leaning down towards him with his hand outstretched towards the dog. This sets off Benji even more, and he nips/bites the guest. Yikes. Now Jake is labeled "aggressive'. So let's break this down as the myriad of issues here, starting with the basis of Piloting. - Control yourself - Control the situation - Communicate/answer questions Controlling yourself is actually pretty simple. Liz Taylor said it best. Put on some lipstick, pour yourself a drink, and pull yourself together. Control yourself: Piloting is a job: so put on your uniform. If you're going to answer your dog's questions about who is at the door, make sure you look as if you have something worthwhile to say. Your body language should emulate RuPaul. Note the confidence. Not aggressive, just calm and confident. Stand up as straight as you can. Technically, your hands should be down at your sides, but she's walking a catwalk, not working with dogs, so we'll let that slide. Note how she turns to face the audience, addressing them directly, not from the side. That is confident body language. That says, "I have an answer to give you, or information to give, and I deem it valuable". She looks like she knows her own importance and is ready to communicate that to you. Confident people exude confidence through their body language. Another aspect to controlling yourself is to get ahold of your emotions. Emotions aren't right, nor are they wrong. They just are. And what they are right now is not needed. Hang tight, emotions, I'll get back to you in a moment. But thanks for telling me I'm afraid, because that will make me pay attention more. Thank you for letting me know I'm frustrated, because that will remind me to take a step back and watch my tone. If I'm confident, I don't need to be aggressive. I need to be confidently communicative. So stop mewling at your poor dog that "everything is okay". That's a lie. Your dog knows it and so do you. Your dog is panicked, and that's not okay. And it's up to you to Pilot him so he can get back to calm. As a matter of fact, don't talk at all. Noise equals energy, and the last thing we want to do right now is add more energy to an already volatile situation. Channel your inner Prof. McGonigle. Calm and confident. Even when faced with trolls. Control the situation: As I always say, you can't control a situation by adding more stimulation to it. When Joe was opening the door to let his friend in, at some point he lost control of the situation as the door was opening, and Benji came rushing up at him. Rather than stopping and rebooting, he continued to open the door and let his friend in. Folks, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: doors close as well as open. Rather than continuing to let his friend inside simply because he had started, what Joe should've done is control the situation by removing stimuli (friend) rather than adding it ("come on in"). Consider how a goalie plays soccer. A goalie typically doesn't let the other team walk right up to their goal. Goalie is defending, and backing them off...but not too far, or they will get around them. The door is goal, you are goalie. Once you have control of the door, and the present situation, you are able to let more stimuli in (friend). If you lose control, remove some stimuli. Communicate: The whole time you are doing this, you should be answering questions, or as I like to refer to it, Piloting. You are actively choosing communication over anger and aggressiveness. It's not an easy choice to make, which is why you are doing it. Because you are better than aggression or anger. You are choosing to do better than circle the drain of anger, frustration and aggression. To find out how to answer your dog's questions, give this post a read, and watch the video to see Piloting in action. So the conversation looks like this now: Benji: Who's here? Joe: Mine. Someone who belongs to me. Benji: Can I verify them? Joe: No. Trust me. Benji: Should we bite them? Joe: No. Benji: Can I get up close to them where they can lean over and scare me by trying to pet me when I'm only interested in reconnaissance, and not actually ready to be friends yet, so I bite them? Joe: No. Benji: Should I wait over here desperately trying to trust you enough to accept your answer? Joe: Yes. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for trusting me. So now you've communicated rather than reacted in anger and frustration, which results in aggression. Rather than creating a scenario that is ripe for aggression, you've taken the time to address your dog's needs (communication) ahead of your wants (simply letting your friend in). Communication is the basis of society. Even agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable. You always have a choice. Aggression is rooted in fear and anxiety. I will always choose communication, even when I don't want to. Aggression can be fear of many things: safety, resources or family/pack are the most common in animals. In humans it's not much different. Fear of becoming obsolete. Fear of new things. Fear of irrelevancy. Even fear of having made poor decisions, so deriding the decisions of others. Fear is okay, but how you act upon it is what differentiates the trolls from the McGonagles. So back to the myriad of nasty-grams I received from Name Redacted. They took the time to seek out my page and write so many aggressive messages and posts. They took the time to rattle off all of the things they believe are incorrect about my Piloting philosophy. So I will take the time to communicate the question back to you: Which part to you disagree with, controlling yourself, controlling the situation, or communicating answers? Because right now, it seems you are engaged on a path of aggression, which leads nowhere. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

“Judge me by my size, do you?” Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back Confession: I’ve always been afraid of small dogs. Not necessarily afraid of them…more like afraid to be around them. Or more importantly, on top of them. I’m about as graceful as a giraffe on roller skates, so the little ones always put me on edge a bit. I knew deep down that they were just like every other dog, and I could see how they responded just as quickly to a bit of Piloting as the large dogs did, but still, they looked so…delicate. Even if I were working with a dog deemed “aggressive“, if it was a Chihuahua running up to me Cujo-style, it instantly put me on edge, more so than a Rottie, Shepherd, or other large dog. Then a number of years ago, it became more and more apparent that I needed a “bait” dog. A dog that could help me out with the dog-reactive dogs. It had to be a dog that was friendly, but aloof unless given permission to be pet. A dog who wasn’t dog reactive, and would trust me completely. The dog needed to be intelligent, healthy, and above all, non-threatening in looks. Enter all 5 lbs. of Orion. Growing up I did indeed have a small-ish dog named Pebbles. She was a 20-ish lb Aussie mix we got from a shelter when I was in preschool. But there’s a difference between a small-ish dog and a tiny dog. Or is there? And so I present: The Little Things That Make Small Dogs Great. 1) They can go anywhere with you. Easily. As I discovered after purchasing a new truck a few years ago, not all car interiors hold equal. While all 110 lbs. of Sparta fit nicely in my previous car, the same didn't hold true for the cab of my truck. Actually, Sparta didn't fit anywhere nicely. A small dog doesn’t have the space problems that a larger dog can. Yes, I know what you’re going to say: a Great Dane is a better apartment dog than a Jack Russel (and you’re right), but if your floor plan only has 700 square feet, you’re taking a pretty big chunk out that with a Dane. Any dog who is given the appropriate amount of exercise is good in an apartment. Unfortunately, you can’t exercise the size out of a large dog. 2) They aren’t big eaters. The cost of feeding a small dog is drastically less than a larger dog. For example, Orion eats between 1/4 – 1/2 cup of food per day, depending on how hard we hike. Sparta, on the other hand, ate anywhere between 5-7 cups per day when she became a senior. A Mastiff can eat up to 10 cups per day. The cost of keeping a smaller dog is significantly less. 3) People aren’t as easily spooked by a small dog. Nobody has ever crossed the street upon seeing Orion coming down the sidewalk with me. Now, if you’ve been around dogs enough, you know very well that the little Yorkie is just as likely to bite you as the German Shepherd, but a lot of people don’t see it that way. They see small dog, they automatically think of it as a friendly happy puppy. So much that landlords typically don’t discriminate against any small dogs. Ergo, it’s easier to get an apartment that allows dogs. 4) It’s easy(ish) to travel with a small dog. On a recent flight to Austin, someone brought a small schnauzer on board the plane in a carry-on. The little darling easily fit on is owner’s lap for the entire duration of the flight instead of being regulated to the cargo hold. 5) Life span. Smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs. Orion’s projected life expectancy is 13-15 years. Sparta was 12 when we said goodbye. My Darwin (a larger lab mix) was just shy of 13. Orion, at 11, is still exceptionally spry. 6) No counter surfing. I’m all about training your dogs, but isn’t it nice when an issue isn’t even on your radar? Sparta had to be trained to leave things on the counter alone. Orion thinks the counter is Mt. Everest. 7) Eliminating the negative. Ever clean up after a 100 lb dog? Exactly. 8) Easier to manage. Okay, a dog who is behaving aggressively needs to have the situation addressed, no matter the size. But let’s face it: if tiny little Fifi the toy poodle decides she wants a piece of the mailman walking by, odds are she isn’t strong enough to literally drag you across oncoming traffic to get to him. Size never takes the place of training, but when dealing with difficult dogs, obviously a smaller dog is easier from a safety standpoint. 9) Portable. When my Darwin and Sparta became senior dogs, I had a tremendously difficult time transporting them. Sparta was over 100 lbs., but even Darwin, at 60lbs, was a struggle. Getting into the car turned into an ordeal simply because of their size. Smaller dogs are so much easier to care for as they age, requiring less muscle. Similarly, on a hike, if Sparta ever got tired, we had to stop and rest. Orion, on the other hand, is easily portable. Not that I’ve ever seen Orion get tired. 10) They’re dogs. I mean, isn’t that what it all boils down to? Dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. They’re just like every other dog. Sure I’ve stepped on Orion and tripped over him, but not very often. Orion is a lot tougher than he looks: he has chased deer away from us, he has caught many a chipmunk in my yard, and he has remained courageous when helping me rehabilitate a dog-reactive dog who outweighs him by 90+ lbs. I do indeed enjoy wrestling with him. He hikes with me for miles and miles, never tiring. He has mettle. He truly is a mascot for Darwin Dogs. Treating a dog like a dog. What a novel concept! I treat Orion just like I treat my Ellis and guess what: both are well-adjusted, wonderful, polite dogs. Small dog syndrome is indeed a real thing, but it’s something that we humans have created in our small dogs by treating them differently. We don’t cipher out humans based on size. If we did, most of you would be inferior to me, as I'm six feet tall! I see people in shelters a lot looking for a new dog, but eliminating a certain dog from the running because they’re “too small” or a “sissy dog”. Usually it’s a man, and usually I stand right next to them, peer downwards at them, and ask if that makes them a sissy man in comparison to me. They usually turn red and walk away. Small dogs, big dogs… let’s just remember the best part: dog. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland Ohio

There is more to life than increasing its speed. - Mahatma Gandhi Of all the things I've ever done, all the dogs I've ever trained, the most fulfilling thing has definitely been working with the (now retired) Stan, the therapy dog. . I loved going into the school, the enthusiasm the children showed, for their “Stan Time” which would be earned by good behavior, and how Stan Time can also be used for helping children with stress or anxiety. Stan Time includes children who have special needs. He gives sensory therapy to those dealing with sensory issues, or encourages behaviors, such as using verbal communication to get a reward (getting to play fetch or "Stan Ball"). Stan Ball: Stand behind the line, and try to get the ball into the basket before Stan can catch it. One of the dumbest games I ever invented, but the kids couldn't get enough of it. He also helped a typical child who may be doing very well in school and therefore earns a reward of Stan Time (children are able to save up points for good behavior, and then spend them like money on various rewards, such as lunch with the principal, or Stan Time). Other children just need some time to reboot, and the mundane pleasure of throwing a ball for a big, goofy Golden Retriever can help melt stress prior to taking a test. So in almost every sense of the word, Stan was a therapy dog. He always gave his all to these children (as well as their teachers). It was my job to make sure he was set up to be utilized to his full potential. For example a child with sensory issues may not want to touch that slobbery tennis ball, and definitely does not want to have added stimuli of Stan running back and forth to fetch it, but they break out in smiles when simply allowed to lay their head on Stan’s side and snuggle with him. Other children need an outlet, and would be far too energetic for snuggle time. I took those children and showed them the basics of agility, which they then taught Stan to do. It’s always a wonderful experience for me when I was at the school, and it was encouraging and uplifting to feel as if we've made a difference, but let’s face it. It could get grueling for Stan sometimes, and exhausting for me, too. That’s why every hour I gave him a little bit of a break. Are we done? Not necessarily. Just a bit of time to take breather. To reboot, if you will. There’s only so much your dog has to give, and sometimes they just need some time to regain their composure. If you've read about my PAW Method of training a dog, you're familiar with my mantra: 1) Control yourself; 2) Control the situation; 3) Answer your dog’s questions, or as I refer to it, Piloting your dog. By pushing forward when Stan was mentally exhausted, I’m not adhering to Step 2. I’m not controlling the situation, I’m merely adding more stimulation. That never ends well. So rather than pushing forward, I’ll take a step back and let him both of us relax for a moment. I apply this concept to every aspect of my life. I applied it during a walks with my Sparta, who was notoriously dog-reactive. She did very well with being Piloted past another dog, but two in a row? On retractable leashes? I'd Pilot her, and then give her the Three Finger Salute (ctrl + alt + del), and let her reboot a bit after that one. I simply answered her questions about the other dogs, and got her past the situation in a calm manner. Since I knew it was a mental struggle for her, I'd give her a moment to compose herself again. Sit her down, scratch her gently behind her ears, and calmly praise her. She literally shakes the incident off after a few seconds, and then is ready to go again, ready for the next dog I may need to Pilot her past. In other words, I never run my dog down to empty. I always let them mentally reboot. Rebooting the dogs has become a natural and normal part of my life over the years. I automatically do it because I know I get better results from the dogs By not pushing them to their limits earns more trust between us, I'm allowing us to accomplish greater and greater feats. Decreased leashed reactivity from Sparta. Less anxiety from Orion. Ellis actually chilled out instead of zooming around the house. So while I had a very fulfilling day today, Piloting three separate families through some very difficult behaviors (separation anxiety, dog reactivity and resource guarding, respectively), I came home pretty late today. I'm exhausted, both physically and mentally. There is one aspect I'd keep neglecting: me. As usual, though, I sat in my chair with my phone in one hand, a coffee in the other, and my computer on my lap, all ready to return clients' phone calls and set up next week’s training sessions. But I am tired. I'm the one who needs a Three Finger Salute. I need a reboot. Sometimes I forget to give myself the same considerations I give to my dogs. The same considerations that the students Stan works with give themselves. Those kids recognized when they need to cuddle Stan and just decompress. I could learn a lot from those kids. So for today, phone calls won't be returned immediately. For once, I won't set up appointments as soon as I came home. For once, I immediately took care of myself. I took a leisurely cup of coffee, and have a dog on my lap instead of a computer. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio

In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Entering into a new dog training session, there are always a few consistencies. I have only two hours to accomplish many things: Gain the trust of the humans Gain the trust of the dog(s) Ascertain the situation Develop a game plan for addressing the behavior issues Create bonds of communication between dog and owner Have fun It doesn’t necessarily happen in that order, but that’s a pretty good synopsis of everything I can accomplish in two hours. It seems like a lot, but as I’ve stated numerous times, dogs aren’t stupid. I also believe that (most) people aren’t stupid either. There are, of course, occasionally the incredible human exceptions. Dogs, however, are amazingly simple. That’s why I’m able to keep my training sessions short and simple. Remember, there is nothing wrong with your dog; he just sucks at being human. And most people are pretty decent humans; they just suck at being dogs. So, simply put, we need some communication going on, not a bunch of rules and regulations about how the two species should interact. Three steps to working with your dog; that’s all it takes for any situation involving a dog to be solved. Nothing complicated. No charts or graphs, just simple communication. Dog Training...Differently I firmly believe dogs ask questions. We’ve already agreed that dogs aren’t stupid, so of course they ask questions. They’re curious creatures, and aside from wanting to know about their world around them, they want to know what you think of the world around them. How should they react? Should they react? And most importantly, is it time to eat?! All of their questions can be answered, but not all of them necessarily need to be answered. There are simply some that must be answered. But more on that in a moment. Working with your dog involves 3 components: Piloting, Activity and Work, or what we refer to as The PAW Method. To break it down: Piloting: Answer your dog’s questions. They only ask “yes/no” questions, so it’s pretty easy to do! Learn how here. Activity: Keep ‘em moving and active. Ever experience something called a runner’s high? Yeah, well, neither have I, but I hear it’s wonderful, and dog’s are addicted to it. They need their Activity, and either you give it to them, or they figure out how to get it themselves, and that’s never a good thing. Work: Dogs aren’t stupid, nor are they merely knick-knacks strewn about your house to be idly admired: they are thinking beings with cognitive abilities that we still haven’t fully explored in the tens of thousands of years they’ve been with us. In other words, keep them mentally engaged. A bored dog is truly a destructive force. Learning the Language of Dogs The PAW Method is the groundwork; your foundation. Make it a good, strong foundation, and you can build upon it by answering your dog’s questions. Now that you've got the tools, let's learn how to use them. Dogs are binary, which means every question they ever ask you will require a “yes” or a “no”, which is different than “good” or “bad”. Remember, you are merely answering questions for your dog, not punishing them, nor should you be inflicting pain or fear upon a dog. Your dog is incapable of being bad: he will always choose what’s right for a dog, which may be in direct conflict of what’s right for a human. Since dogs communicate primarily using “yes” and “no”, this makes it exceptionally easy to learn their language. But when do you give negatives, and when do you use positives? Simple. Negatives/No 1) When you don’t like what your dog is doing. Sounds simple enough, but you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t understand that “No” is a complete sentence and can be used liberally. Ask yourself, “Do I like this behavior that Fido is doing?” If the answer is “no”, then give them a negative. Anything from jumping, barking, and getting on furniture to the simple questions Fido may ask on a walk: “Do we turn left here?”. If the answer is “no”, then give them a negative! Remember negative doesn’t mean bad, it just means “no”. 2) When your dog is “Yo, Bitch”-ing you. Wow….there’s a term. What’s “Yo, Bitch”, anyway? Symptoms include: slapping you with their paw, trampling you, pushing you out of your seat on the couch. Basically, any behavior that would translate to : “Yo Bitch, give me a cookie”, or “Yo Bitch, pet me”. It’s as detrimental to your healthy relationship with your dog as it would be in any human relationship! Respect yourself enough to expect respect from your dog. Your dog is perfectly capable of a “May I Please?” instead of a “Yo, Bitch”, and you know the “May I Please?” look. It goes something like this: “May I Please” ….have a cookie? Go for a walk? Jump in your lap? All of these can be answered with a “yes” or a “no”. Your choice. But if your dog is “Yo, Bitch”-ing you, the answer must be a negative. Don’t accept a yo bitch dog‘s behavior. So how do you answer a dog’s questions? Use your body language to answer these questions. If your dog is staring at a treat on the floor and then at you, he’s asking if he can have it. If you do not want your dog to have it, answer his question by walking in between him and the treat, facing him, with the treat behind you. This means that you are “claiming” the treat. You can move into his personal space to back him off it a bit. Once he’s engaged with you, nothing, or everything (in other words, looking anywhere but at the treat), remove your strong body language by walking to the side or away from him. This shows him that he is giving you the correct response: accepting that the treat is yours. If he looks at your treat again, simply use the body language again. Think of it as a game of hot/cold. His question is, “Can I have that?” The answer is “No”. You answer his question using that body language. When he accepts the answer (looking at you, everything, or nothing, but definitely NOT looking at the treat), then you’re finished. Remove your negative body language. You may have to put the negative body language right back on him if he immediately tries to go for it, but that’s natural – it may take him a few times to accept your answer. Remember, remaining calm is the key. Anger should never be a part of Piloting. So again, Piloting is answering a dog’s questions. You would answer the question in the same way if he is asking if something is a threat (stand between your dog and the perceived threat, facing your dog, and simply back him off while standing up straight). Pretty easy, huh? The more you show your dog that you are capable of being in control and the Pilot, the more your dog will be able to relax and actually be a dog. He’ll look to you for guidance instead of feeling as though he needs to protect you and your family from every garbage can, dog and plastic bag in the neighborhood. Positives/Yes 1) The “come” command. Always, always, always…positive. Give them a treat. Tell them how wonderful they are! Scratch their belly. Whatever it takes to get them to understand that what they did was wonderful. If you need help with “recall/come”, check out this link. 2) Asking a dog to do a “human” behavior. Your dog is a perfect dog, and can be expected to do dog things wonderfully. Being a human, on the other hand…well, that’s a little different. Any time you are asking your dog to do something that another dog couldn’t ask them to do, you must use positive reinforcement. For example, a dog will tell another dog to go away, or play, or stay away from their toy. But they don’t teach each other English (sit, stay, come, etc.), nor do they teach each other tricks. If you ask a dog to do a human thing, make it worth their while. 3) When they’re calm. This is the most important of all. I always tell my clients I want “calm” to be like a lottery ticket: 1) you have to play to win; 2) You probably aren’t going to win; and 3) But unless you’re holding a ticket, you’re definitely not going to win. I want your dog holding a many lottery tickets as possible. Because the more tickets they have, the better their chances are at winning. Reward calm any chance you get, and pretty soon Fido will understand that “calm” is like a magic button he can press that will (sometimes) get him exactly what he wants. If you see your dog sleeping on the floor, give him a gentle scratch behind the ears. If you’re cuddling on the couch, give him gentle praise for being calm. And remember, calm is about progress, not perfection. So if you’re dealing with separation anxiety, just reward progress. If you are crate training, but your dog in the crate and walk into the other room. He’s going to escalate to a decibel 11….simply wait him out until he goes down to an 8 before re-entering the room. You are trying to catch a behavior: increased calm. It’s not always immediate, and it is rarely perfect, but that doesn’t mean the behavior isn’t there to catch. Make sure you reward it. So let’s break everything down Your dog needs Piloting, Activity and Work (the foundation). Only once you have given them what the need are you able to build upon that foundation by answering your dog’s questions using “yes/no”. Pretty simple. You’ll notice I didn’t give a lot of rules. I hate rules. They don’t take into account human and dog personalities. I know many trainers who: -Insist a dog should never be on your bed. Why not? I sleep better snuggled next to a dog. Just remember it’s your bed, and your choice who is in it. -Don’t give your dog people food. Because….? My dogs get plenty of people food (in a healthy moderation, of course). If it isn’t on the lethal list (grapes, onions, chocolate, etc.), and your dog isn’t “Yo, Bitch-”ing you for the food, go ahead! Just remember, it’s their right to beg for food, (“Can I have some?”) just as it’s your right to answer “no”. - Never play rope toy/tug/wrestle with your dog because then they’ll know they can beat you. News flash: my dog already knows they can beat me. Using that logic I should never run with my dog because they are faster. Playing rope/tug/wrestling with your dog is all about setting your boundaries. We bond through play, and this is a prime way to do it…if you wish. Set your boundaries. For example, when Sparta and I would play, I had very limited rules: she’s allowed to knock me down, grab the rope, even (carefully) bite me. But the second I feel it has gotten too rough, I give her a negative, and she instantly stops. Some days I’m up for a WWF-style match, other days I’m only good for a drastically diminished version. Just because we romped hard yesterday doesn’t mean that’s what our game is going to be about today. You set the rules for each and every match…anything from “no rules” to “not playing at all” is acceptable. Think of it like Fifty Shades of Grey: Anything’s okay so long as you are both okay with it. That includes not wrestling at all. So stop complicating your bond with Fido. No more lengthy list of rules and regulations trying to define your relationship with your dog. Your bond is unique: just as there will never be another bond like I had with my first dog, Darwin, there will never be another bond like the dog you have with your dog. So no more One Size Fits All training style, nor endless rules for working with your dog.. Only you know what you need from your relationship with your dog, and now you have the foundations to build that relationship. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

“As wonderful as dogs can be, they are famous for missing the point.” – Jean Ferris I’ll never forget a conversation I had several years ago with a friend who happens to be a (great) vet. She was asking me about the “come” command, and what my thoughts were about having a special “come” command, or an emergency recall. A special word that means “come”, no matter what? Did I have a command like that? “Yes”, I replied. ”The word is “'come'". I have a lot of people who ask me why their dogs won’t come when they’re called. My usual reply? ”Why should they?”, which is always followed with some type of justification on the owner’s part. Because I called them. Because I’m their owner. Because I’m their pack leader. Just “because” isn’t an answer. It’s a polka. Your dog needs a reason to come when called, and there’s only one reason a dog will come when you call them. That reason is you have more money is your Piloting Piggy Bank. You simply must have more money in your piggy bank than your dog does. Claiming to be Pilot or Leader doesn’t mean much unless you actually are. I can claim to be Queen of the Scots, but unless I have something to back up that claim, well…Here, I’ll let Bruce explain. So, to that end, I present to you How To Attain (Near) Total Recall. Notice the caveat in there? ”Near” Total Recall. Because we are dealing with living, breathing animals, not machines who are programmed to respond a specific way to specific sets of stimuli. No dog will ever have 100% recall. So let’s do this. Let’s get Fido to (Near) Total Recall. A few simple rules about (Near) Total Recall. 1. Remember the three steps to working with your dog: Control Yourself. Are you angry? Rushed? Annoyed? If so, it’s not going to work. Calm is the only way to get what you want, and that goes for the “come” command, too. Take a break and listen to the polka music again. Nobody can be in a bad mood while listening to a polka! Control the Situation. In other words, don’t start working on recall when your dog is chasing the mailman down the street. Start in a controlled environment, say….your living room! Answer Questions/Add Command (“Come”). Let’s get ready to rumble! 2. You MUST use positive reinforcement. In other words, “COME HERE!!!!” will never work Yeah, I always preferred Liu Kang anyway. Start in your living room, with your dog not too far from you. Make your body into slight letter “S”. The object is that you don’t look intimidating, but rather, inviting. Call them. Remember you are teaching your dog a new language, so repetition is integral. One word only. In our house, it’s “come”. In your house it could be “Pajammas” for all I care, just so long as you are repeating it over and over again. Pat your leg consistently to give them something to focus on,. Hopefully, they will start walking to you. The moment they get to you, they get high value positive reinforcement. If your dog is food motivated, give them a treat. If they are praise motivated, praise them heartily. If they are love-bugs, give them a thorough belly/back scratch. In a perfect world, you will be doing all three. This is called Touch, Talk, Treat. You are creating a Pavlovian response by linking these three things. Pretty soon, you don’t need all three! The Touch and Talk can take the place of the Treat. That way you don’t need to rely on treats all the time to get your dog to come when you call. Now that your dog came when you called, try it again, from farther away. Pat your leg, move into an “S” shape, and start calling them. Uh oh. This time they’ve decided to ignore you. What do you do? 1) If you are home alone, quietly stand up, walk towards your dog, take them by the collar and start gently tugging (not dragging!) them to where you called them, repeating “come, come, come” the entire time. Once you get to where you originally called them, they still get Touch,Talk,Treat. There is absolutely no punishment, ever. 2) If someone is with you, have them retrieve the dog to where you are. The person bringing you the dog should merely act as a disembodied hand that is bringing your dog to you. You will still be saying “come, come, come” over and over, and yes, they still get Touch, Talk, Treat when they get to you. Practice this a few times. Pretty soon your dog will come bounding over to you to get their treat. Now it’s time to start weaning them from the treats. Now it’s 9/10 times they get the treat. Then 7/10 times. Soon it’s 1/30 times. No matter what, they still get lavish praise and affection when they get to you. Call them from all areas of the house so they actually have to find where you are. Get them accustomed to actively looking for you when they hear they are being called. Now you’re ready for outside. But there’s a trick to it. Yes, it’s easy to get your dog to come in the house, but outside they’re, well, loose! Even in an enclosed back yard it can be difficult to catch a dog who won’t come. That’s why I use a cotton clothesline initially. About 20 feet will do. Tie a big knot about every 2-3 feet along the line, and then attach it to your dog’s collar. Now let them outside. When you call them, and they won’t come, remember, they’re dragging 20 feet of rope behind them. Simply step on the rope (the knot will catch on your foot), and you can tug them along two towards you, calling them the entire time. And yes, they still get Touch, Talk, Treat when they get t you. So you’ve been working at it outside, and your dog has (Near) Total Recall outside. Now you’re ready to lose the clothesline, but if you just instantly take it off, your dog may figure out that they’re completely free again. Instead, gradually start cutting the clothesline smaller and smaller until there’s nothing left. Your dog will never know the instant where you can’t catch them anymore. What does it take? Effort. I loathe the people who tell me this doesn’t work, and when I ask them how long they’ve been at it, “Oh, at least 2 days now!” You are training a dog to be human. To respond to human speech, and to trust that you make a better Pilot than they do. To this day, I still work at the come command with my dogs, even thought they attained (Near) Total Recall a long time ago. Work at it, because the first time you call your dog and this happens: And remember, keep calm and Pilot on. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Buddha I recently had a session with the cutest couple ever, Anna and Mick. They had two dogs, a new puppy, and an adorable Boston, Foxy, who is about 5. And a bit...eh..."fluffy". Here's the thing: of all of the people I meet with and train, Anna and Mick are about the most solid I've seen in a minute. Asking extremely intelligent questions, giving the correct answers to questions I'd specifically set them up to answer incorrectly; they are what I'd describe as perfect clients. They were, however, a bit obsessed with every aspect of their dogs' health. Not in a bad way, but bordering on benevolent helicopter parenting. Right on down to how they were feeding their dogs (organic, natural dog mix, not kibble, from a delivery service). Naturally I was curious as to how Foxy had become so overweight with: - 4(!) walks every day -measured, precise amounts of food -one greenie every day It didn't add up. They informed me that Foxy has allergy issues, and her skin would sometimes get dry and itchy, so their previous vet suggested giving her a teaspoon of sunflower oil with every day. Legit. The problem, which they eventually found out, is that there are a lot of calories in that teaspoon of oil. More than a Boston needs. It was hard to notice her putting on weight because it was so slow and gradual, but when they took her to a different vet the next time, the vet yelled at them about Foxy's weight. "She's fat! Do you want your dog dead?" The vet continued on their tirade about Foxy's weight and the damage her owners were causing to her health. As they were telling me this, even I was getting angry. Yes, Foxy was fat. That is a fact. But were Mick and Anna to blame? No. These are wonderful pet parents who were following the advise of another vet, trying to solve their dog's discomfort. The side effect was weight gain. Further, when they noticed it, they took steps to fix it! They even bought Foxy a fitness tracker to wear on her collar (something I'd never even known existed!). Was it their fault she was fat? No. However, it was their responsibility to fix the issue, and they were stepping up to that responsibility beautifully. They just need a little bit more time to get where they needed to go with her. She didn't put the weight on in a month, it's not coming of (healthily) in a month. Think of it like this: For a human, eating one extra 50-calorie Oreo cookie a day can make you put on 5 pounds per year. The calculation is basic math: if about 3,500 extra calories make you put on a pound of body fat, then 50 times 365 is 18,250 extra calories which, divided by 3,500, equals about 5 pounds. After 2 years, it's 10 pounds you've packed on. And so the cycle continues, provided that you're only taking in extra 50 calories. The cycle is worse if you're taking in more. Remember, calories in must equal calories burned, or you're going to store those calories. To further complicate matters, some of us have very efficient bodies, who act like calories are to be hoarded like toilet paper during a pandemic. So yes, the rules can have a little flux, too. So let's start with some basic behaviors and mindsets we need to change to help our overweight dogs live long, happy lives. Stop the Shame of Fat Foxy is foxy, no matter what she looks like. That's my starting and ending point. She is a wonderful dog, with a wonderful personality. She's a beautiful gift to the world, but the wrapping paper she's wrapped in doesn't quite match the amazing gift that she is. But that's okay, who really cares about wrapping paper anyway? She's beautiful. Fat is an inanimate object, not a sentient part of her. It's a part of her, yes, but not who she is. Accept the Consequences Foxy is indeed a chow hound (#SolidaritySister) and does love her food. That's fine. And we all know if feels good to show our love our animals and those dear to us. But at what point is that love turning into a selfish love? In other words, I love my dog so much that I'm willing to risk losing her to an early death due to the joy I get in giving her a treat? Are there better ways to show your love an affection? Or, if you do want to show your love with food, are you still doing the math? If I were to tell you that every extra treat over your dog's calorie allotment took away 3 minutes of her life, could I get you to think about it differently? I'm sure all of us would gladly take an extra 3 minutes of time with our dogs when the Rainbow Bridge is getting nearer. I know I would gladly have taken it with my Sparta. Rethink the Treats You're Giving/How You Give Them How many calories is that treat? Can you break it smaller? Nope, even smaller than that. Can we change up what she's getting as a reward? My Sparta loved frozen green beans. It was her thing. Some dogs like frozen carrot pieces (look in the freezer section for those tiny, perfectly portioned cubes of carrots). Anything that has less calories. Now, instead of just giving it to her, can you get her to jump over or crawl under something first? Move just a little. Bonus: you're Piloting your dog, and getting money from their piggy bank when you work together like this. So weight is decreasing and your relationship is improved at the same time. Cha-Ching! For a detailed description of how to give more positives with less treats, give this a read. Scrounge for Change No, not pocket change, but tiny little changes that add up to a huge amount. Changing your dog's health isn't always about the huge changes, it's about the sum of the equation. While diet is always the largest component of weight gain, exercise is key as well. Start very, very slowly, and always speak with your vet first. Part of our game plan with Foxy included a backpack, which she will be wearing all day (as long as someone is awake in the house). Just a tiny, tiny amount of weight in the backpack (from .25%-1% of their body weight) worn all day will cause them to burn up more calories without actually feeling like a routine workout. Don't put more weight in to get it done faster: you can always add weight later as they get closer to healthy, but you can't un-damage a dog. Take it easy. Remember that Oreo cookie conundrum I mentioned earlier? Well, the same thing happens in a positive way, too? So Foxy is burning up 30 extra calories a day wearing the backpack (at least!), that's a win in the math vs. healthy weight battle! Bonus: you don't need to be involved! Put the backpack on, keep an eye on your dog initially to make sure they're comfortable, and then they are slowly cooking off all that extra unhealthy weight while you do other things. Learn about the joys of the backpack and how to utilize it here. For other ideas about how to keep your dog active (that don't necessarily involve going for a walk!), give this link a read. Remember, the walk is there mostly to get money out of your dog's Piloting Piggy Bank, the rest is just extra bonus points for exercise and a bit of mental rebalancing. Breath in the air and clear your mind. At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember can be summed up by my favorite Ben Franklin quote: "Everything in moderation, including moderation." Keep it in moderation. Give your dog the treat. Share your food with them, if you truly wish to. Just understand everything that entails so you can keep it within moderation. Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. Maya Angelou Dog Training, Differently We all have prejudices. Those who claim they aren’t prejudice at all strike me as imbeciles, unwilling or incapable of introspection. Prejudice can take so many forms, the most obvious being in regards to race, gender or sexual orientation with humans, but there are so many different forms. A more benevolent "for instance": I’m prejudice against the home made frosting you make. I don’t even need to taste it to know my mom’s/grandma’s/great grandma’s cake frosting is the best (I’ve even included it at the bottom of this post so you can agree and change the error of your frosting ignorance, you newb). I think I can honestly say that I’m not prejudiced against people based upon their ethnicity (having so many different ethnic groups making up my own DNA, it would be pretty hard for me to be prejudiced based upon a person’s ethnicity or religion). But I’ll admit that I’m prejudice against certain people in other capacities. I realize that the skewed beliefs I hold against these people are stupid and lacking merit, and I’m working hard to eradicate them, but sometime you’ve been “educated” too thoroughly to stop the knee-jerk reaction and let go of those ignorant beliefs, regardless of how hard you try to rid yourself of dysfunctional thinking. But I realize I’m not perfect, and that my job is to try to do better every day, and to make sure my children aren’t poisoned by more ignorant thinking. So far, so good. But as this is a blog devoted to dog training, dog life, and just the joy that is the canine world, I completely digress. So let’s talk about something we all tend to ignore: prejudice of breeds. The obvious prejudice would be pitbulls. We’ve created entire sets of laws devoted to the prejudice of one little block-headed dog. It perplexes me. I hear the same tired adages from the same group of ignorant people: pitbulls are dangerous. To which I reply, “No shit!” Of course they are dangers: they’re predators! Every single dog I’ve ever worked with is potentially dangerous! If it has teeth and can move faster than I can, it’s dangerous! Yes, even this little doll-faced munchkin can be dangerous. We tend to focus so much on which breeds are dangerous that we lose focus on which dogs are dangerous. We banter around the term “breed” like it’s a make, model and year of a car. But a car is a machine. A dog is not, and regardless of how carefully a dog is bred, there is still plenty of room for deviation within that breed. Remember you are training a puppy, not a breed. But we are still fed the same bullshit that Golden Retrievers are the perfect family dogs, Chihuahuas are lap sharks, and Rotties require “special training/handlers”. We all know that’s just a bunch of Benedryl Cramplesnutch (side note: Buttercup Candysnack fans, click here. You’re welcome.) I’ve worked with quite a few aggressive “family dogs”, and lost count of the Rotties who should be therapy dogs. By judging a dog based exclusively upon the breed, you are missing the potential of the dog. Work with the dog, not the breed. Focus on Fido, not the fact that he’s a rare Blue Ridged Appalachian Banjo Dog. Blame the deed, not the breed, folks. Most times, when booking a dog training session, I don’t even ask what breed of dog you have, because the operative word here is “dog”. I want to meet Fifi, Ollie, Peaches and Brutus. And they are so much more than just a Chihuahua, Doodle, Spaniel and Shepherd. They are individuals, not brands of merchandise. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, there are a few breeds of dogs that I am prejudiced against. Remember, I’m only human, and I’m working every day towards being better. No, I’m not going to tell you which three breeds of dog I’m prejudiced against because prejudice is stupid. I know I’m being stupid, I accept it, and I refuse to spread stupidity around like a crop duster full of ignorance. And every single time I work with one of the three (rare) breeds that I’m prejudiced against, I’m reminded again how stupid and misguided my apprehensions were about the dog, and each time I have less and less prejudice against those three. There used to be four breeds I was prejudiced against, but I finally learned better and accepted new information upon which to make my decisions. Facts win (eventually). This may shock those of you who follow Darwin Dogs on Facebook, but as much as I like to talk shit about Chihuahuas, they are actually one of my favorite breeds! There is so much moxy packed into that small body that you have to give them credit. They are legit dogs (albeit bent on world denomination). Just kidding. Not really. So I have an idea: rather than referring to purebred dogs as “breeds”, let’s refer to them as “families”. Because there are a bit of similarities between families and we can acknowledge that. But we always treat the individuals within the family as, well…individuals. It’s fair to say that a Weasley family member will probably have red hair. But you’re willing to accept deviations without a second thought. Nobody is surprised when they meet my daughter, who at 13 is already 5’7″, because I’m 6″ tall, and my mother was 5’8″. Family tradition of tall women. But with family, we allow for deviation from the norm. My grandmother was about 5' tall..in heels. She was a total human Chihuahua. And besides, “normal” is just a setting on a washing machine. That’s not to say that there aren’t certain concerns within a family that may need to be addressed. Epilepsy seems to travel in my family, as well as asthma. And we have a high number of ADHD and some autism swimming like fish around the family gene pool. But I’m not automatically going to assume that any child born into my family will have ADHD, autism, or height. It’s a case-by-case basis. Similarly, learn about the medical conditions your dog may be prone to, but don’t automatically assume that your Mastiff will have cherry eye, or that your GSD will have bad hips. A lot of people are commenting about what breed of dog they’d like to get, and with very little deviation, they are picking out dogs based upon their experience with one single dog. “My best friend ‘adopted’ a Floofadoodle from a local breeder, and I just love that dog, so I’m going to go to a ‘breeder’ and get a Floofadoodle, too!” Problems: 1) Your friend did not ‘adopt’ a dog from a breeder. Best case is they bought a dog from a backyard breeder. Worse (and most likely), they are supporting puppy mill industry. Yes, good breeders do exist (I saw the product of one recently when I trained a gorgeous Poodle). But you don't "adopt" from a breeder, nor a pet store. You're perpetuating puppy mills. 2) You can’t recreate the same exact puppy as your friend’s dog just because they’re the same breed! They are individuals, not lines of code that can be rewritten to create an identical copy of an original. By judging a dog by their breed first, you're falling into the trap of prejudice based on breed when you are working to train your puppy or dog. Judge the dog by who they are. Let your dog tell you whether or not they like to play fetch, or if they're suited to be a therapy/emotional support/service dog. Allow them to determine if they are scared of water, or if they actually prefer to be lazy rather than hyper. I’ve come to accept that my puppy training sessions are so much more productive when I’m not battling against preconceived ideas of how a Pug should act, but focusing on Bailey, the individual dog in front of me. Learn about your dog and you’ll be well on your way to building a healthy partnership with Fido, Fifi, and Peaches. Communicate and train with the dog you have, not the breed you bought. Plenty of Labs hate water. I’ve met some seriously lazy Border Collies. And most pit bulls are more interested in belly rubs and treats than murdering anyone. Now, as promised, here is the recipe for the best tasting custard frosting you will ever have, courtesy of my grandma. My mom wrote out a cookbook of family recipes for me when I was 5 years old, starting in 1982, and this was in it. Thanks, Mom! Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs In Home Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio

"Your dog is a great dog...he just sucks at being human. And you aren't the best dog." - Kerry Stack I love my clients. I really do! I learn something from each and every one of you. Some of you come to the free pack walks after your sessions, and I love seeing you grow and strengthen your bond every week. Some of you have even become my friends, and I'm truly grateful for that, for I've learned from you the most. But there's something I need to address: all those unhealthy mindsets you've been cultivating are detrimental to Piloting your dog. So let's start at from the top. Comparison Game I have a client, one who I have become friends with. We will call her Peggy. Peggy shows up to the pack walks regularly with her dog, Sailor. I had worked with her about 2 years ago, and was impressed with her dedication to her dog, who was severely reactive to...well, everything. She took it slow and easy, working with him non-stop, but never getting frustrated with Sailor. Never blaming him when he reacted, merely addressing the issue before moving on, with the same air as one giving an order to a waiter. Kind, concise, and direct. Unemotional, yet polite. She has brought Sailor so far. The problem? Anytime there is a natural bump in their path, she blames herself. When I met her, she could barely pass another dog on the other side of the road with Sailor, and now she's fully integrated into gen pop during our pack walks. I actually have new people at the pack walk watch Peggy as she Pilots her dog. She's that good. Yet just today she sent me another message. She was comparing herself to our mutual friend, who has two dogs that she's had since they were puppies. We will call her Lisa. Peggy and Lisa both recently got treadmills so as to treadmill train their dogs to help with high energy demands. Lisa shared a video of both of her dogs walking on the treadmill, doing quite well. Peggy's response? "They're so much further ahead than Sailor!" Um, no. They aren't. You cannot even compare them. Dogs, like humans, each have their own quirks. Don't ever compare your dog to others. Rather, compare your dog to how your dog was previously. Also, Lisa had the luxury of having these dogs during their important developmental phases. Peggy adopted Sailor as a full grown dog full of anxiety and fear. There is no doubt in my mind that Sailor would have been euthanized if it weren't for Peggy. So who has come farther, Peggy or Lisa? Both. A flower doesn't compare itself to other flowers, it just blooms. Keep track of your dog's behaviors if you need to (this is especially helpful when it comes to housebreaking). It can be hard to see how far you've come without some kind of bench mark. Keeping a list of how many accidents in the house this week vs. last week can give you a better visual of your progress. Otherwise it can be difficult to see beyond The Here and Now. So stop comparing your dog to other dogs. Because perhaps that dog can pass quietly by other dogs during a walk, but pees on the carpet like a garden sprinkler running in the dead heat of July. In Texas. The Blame Game Much akin to the comparing is the blaming. Now, I like to think that I get it out of my client's heads immediately that a dog is not to be blamed for being a dog. Their behavior is normal, and when we think about it logically, we aren't training them to be dogs. We are asking them to conform to being human. Which is a lot to ask. So FiFI peeing on the rug is a normal thing for a dog to do, but not normal for a human. Your dog is not capable of being bad. It's just the answer to their question ("Can I pee here?") is a no. Not bad, not wrong, just....no. Most of my clients accept this by the time I leave our session, and the few who had been blaming their dogs stop the blaming. If they don't, they're assholes. And probably think pineapple belongs on pizza. But it's so hard for me to get people to stop blaming themselves. For instance, I met the most wonderful couple and their dog Princess recently. Owner Meg has anxiety, which she disclosed to me. After observing Princess for a bit, I informed Meg that most of Princess's unsavory behaviors are due to anxiety. "Oh great, I gave my dog my anxiety! You know what they say about dogs and their owners!" Oh boy....lets unpack this. A dog can indeed read their owner's anxiety, and can become anxious themselves, you did not cause your dog's anxiety. That's the reaction your dog chose. Not your fault. It's nobody's fault. It just happened. It's merely something that needs to be addressed, that's all. So perhaps you haven't been walking your dog the best way previously. It's not your fault the dog is a twerp on the leash: you were doing the best you could. It's not your fault your dog is dog-reactive, you didn't understand what socializing your dog meant. So let's get past the fault finding. Reality is reality. Let's not rail against reality. Now responsibility, that's different. It is indeed your responsibility to work through these behaviors, and to do the best you can. But like Maya Angelou said: For some reason we humans tend to believe that blame must always fall somewhere. Who to blame when power goes out? Who to blame when there's a car accident? It's all about pointing the finger at someone (usually ourselves). Do you want to know what I love most about dogs? They don't believe in blame. They know everything they do is correct based upon the information they currently have. You stepped on your dog's tail? They don't blame you. It is merely something that has happened. But now they possibly know better than to sleep in front of the bedroom door where you may step on their tail. So don't blame yourself for stepping on the dog's tail. So can I get rid of your anxiety? I'd like to, but I'm not qualified to be a psychologist for humans. Can show you how to alleviate your dog's anxiety? Absolutely. And seeing your dog in a more balanced state will lessen your anxiety about your dog at least, leading to a virtuous cycle. Obedience Training "Hi, my name is _____, and I'm looking into obedience training for my puppy. Basic commands. She won't come when she's called." When clients call me and the conversation always start like that, I always ask them why their dog should come when they call. Usually they start laughing. Or they jokingly say, "Because I told them to?". But occasionally I get my favorite answer: "Because I'm Alpha." I hate the concept of Alpha. Pack leader. It's steeped in toxic thoughts and behaviors. Even the best leaders rely on advisors and trusted individuals around them. And the greatest leaders know when not to lead, but when to follow instead. There is absolutely no good reason why your dog should ever obey you. They don't need to "respect your authority". What they need is someone to communicate with them to help them understand why they need to come when they're called (hint: it has to do with Piloting.) "Because I told you to" is not an answer. It means you don't understand why, either. Or at least can't articulate an intelligent argument. I always tell the story about a family member calling my daughter, River, stubborn. River was about 8 years old at the time, and I made sure she thanked her for the compliment. Because stubbornness is just determination in an opposite direction. Nobody just magically sees your point of view, you have to communicate, not bully. And guess what? Your point of view may not be the best. Intelligent disobedience is to be celebrated, not punished. I called my dog, Ellis, when he was outside this morning. He ignored me and started sniffing. I called him again. He ignored me and went about still sniffing around. Rather than get angry, I waited a moment to see why he wouldn't come when I called. My stubborn dog hadn't relieved himself yet, which he did, and then promptly ran inside where I had called him. Good dog. Dog Training vs. Dog Life By focusing on dog life, rather than dog training, our goals can become so much more attainable and clear-cut. Most of us don't want an obedient dog, we just don't want a dis-obedient dog. Robot-style dogs who are afraid of stepping out of line are for certain types of people I guess. But that's not my style. That's why I developed the Piloting method of dog training over 20 years ago, a force-free method of dog training and puppy training that didn't rely on abusive shock collars or cruel prong collars, yet didn't constantly bribe with non-stop click-n-treat style dog training. I want a bond with my dog based on trust and communication. Learn more about our Piloting method of dog and puppy training here. Find out more about our private in home 30 Day Best Dog Ever and 30 Day Best Puppy Ever training packages here. Have questions about our puppy training or dog training? Kerry Stack Darwin Dogs Dog Training and Puppy Training Greater Cleveland Area Northeast Ohio