Inmates Guide on How to Train a Dog

Inmates Guide on How to Train a Dog

Brian Hall and Jonathan Norton

Copyright 2013 by Brian Hall

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

1. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Pooch?

2. The Clicker Method

3. Old Dog New Tricks

4. Shaping Behaviors

5. Clicker Conditioning and Eye Contact

6. What’s My Name Again?

7. Name Recognition

8. Patience Is a Virtue

9. Okay

10. The Lazy- Boy Effect

11. Sit

12. Adding Durations

13. Is That For Me?

14. Kennel Up

15. Here Boy

16. Recall

17. Buddy and the Beast

18. Leave-It

19. These Paws Were Made For Walkin’

20. Loose Leach Walking

21. When You Gotta Go You Gotta Go

22. House Training

23. Doggy 101

24. Over Excitement

25. Demanding Attention

26. Barking

27. Territorial Guarding

28. Resource Guarding

29. Key Words

30. Conclusion

31. Thanks

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~Author’s Note~

In 2004 the Florence Correctional Center along with a group of civilian volunteers started an Assistance Dog Training Program. This wasn’t a new idea. Similar programs had been developed in prisons across the Country. What made ours unique was all of the dogs came from the pound, inmates training inmates of a different breed. Both unwanted by society, both uncertain of their future. One character of this story was chosen spur of the moment simply to save his life. He was scheduled for euthanization the day after the volunteers picked up the lucky few dogs. There were the obvious questions and concerns. Could convicts be trusted with the care of these animals in a prison environment? Could cast away shelter dogs be trained to assist disabled Americans? Would the volunteers be able to get past the barriers raised both in prison and the pound? No one knew the answers, but we were all eager to try. The program was aptly named, Second Chance.

In the first year of the program one dog was paired up with a team of two inmates. The inmates would work in shifts with their charge as well as work together several times a day. My training partner, Hamp, is a free man now doing well and still working with dogs. He is my closest friend and this book would not be complete without acknowledging his dedication and skill and everything he has taught me.

Before starting a little must be said about our methods. The foundation of our training is positive reinforcement and clicker training. Basically, when our dog does something we want she gets a prize; kind of like getting a gold star on a math test in 3rd grade. We primarily used food for a reward. Some tasty treat they normally wouldn’t get. But we learned that often, once our dogs got the idea of training, that play and attention were just as big of a reward as a piece of bacon….well maybe not bacon! It wasn’t unusual for us to mix it up, sometimes throwing a ball, sometimes a tummy rub or sometimes a dip of peanut butter. Whatever our dog showed us she really enjoyed we took advantage of for training.

What we never used was discipline; neither physical nor verbal. No choke chains, no bad dogs, no rubbing the nose in it and definitely NO hitting! Though we tend to treat them as part of our family, dogs are not people and their concept of Right and Wrong is way different than ours. They live in the moment and unless properly, and I stress properly taught different, each moment is ruled by doggy instinct. Once that moment is gone it’s gone and out of her head. So while you may be upset because she chewed up a pair of your heels while you were at work, she’s wondering why are you yelling at me and pointing at those old things?

That is the beauty of clicker training and positive reinforcement. It catches your companion in the moment so she knows what it is she is doing right.