Washington Humane Society Blog

The Picky Pursuit of Perfection

By: Kevin Simpson, Director of Animal Behavior & Training

(photo below of Kevin Simpson)

Today's the day - my deadline.  I made a commitment awhile back to learn more about the world of blogging and this piece will be my first attempt at it.  Truth by know, I'm dated - cyber speaking mind you.  I've yet to create a myspace or facebook account, and it was only a few years back that someone told me that it is, in fact, called cyber and not cider space.  I had always assumed it was some association with Mac.  I guess it's time to finally drag myself out from under the 90's and into the new age of Internet blogging.  By the way, for those of you who do not know me, I manage the Washington Humane Society's first ever Behavior & Training Department.

I've been with the Washington Humane Society for almost 4 years now, serving 2 different roles during my tenure.  As manager for an up and coming behavior & training department much of my time is spent creating new programs, like our popular Shelter In-house Training Program (http://washhumane.org/adopt/sit.asp) that teaches volunteers the skill of dog training in exchange for time spent with our animals.  One of our department goals -that I'm very excited to offer this year- is a full schedule of group training classes for the people and their pets in our community.  This will be made possible by the recent addition of our new Behavior & Learning Center (http://washhumane.org/learningcenter.asp) located at 7315 Georgia Ave. NW.  Working in this position, for the animals of the Washington Humane Society, truly is my dream career.  And dogs... well, they've always been my passion.

A little history for you - before moving to DC I lived in Pennsylvania where I managed and instructed at one of the East Coast's premiere pet resort and training facilities (www.mistypinesdogpark.com) for the better part of a decade.  Over the course of twenty some odd years, I've had the fortunate experience to work with and train literally thousands of dogs.  Some of the fields I've trained in include canine narcotics detection, search & rescue, hearing assistance, competitive obedience, behavior rehabilitation, and shelter life to name a few.  I now reside locally with a Greyhound, Labrador Retriever, Cavalier/Chihuahua muttling, and a Himalayan - all of whom joined my pack from various "animal orphanages" across this country.

Today, as I type this blog, I find myself distracted with some heavy eyelids.  I was up through the night with a sick pet at the animal hospital.  This time it was one of my own.  For those of you with pets (or children) I'm sure, at one point or another, you've been there too.

It was almost 2 years ago that I adopted Reese, now 5 year old Labrador, after a month long foster period.  At the time, I was also on the lookout for another dog to share in my work and outdoor activities and was going back-and-forth on whether or not this dog might be the one.  Although incredibly sweet, she had some pretty challenging, though workable, behavior problems that quite frankly, I didn't know if I wanted to take on.  Truth be known, I was looking for the perfect dog.

The funny part about all of it was that I never believed in "perfect anything", much less dogs.  Love them as I do, I find them all to be weird in one way or another.  But, here I was ready to pass up this amazing animal in pursuit of something that didn't come with a few skeletons in the closet.  But, she was meant to stay and deep down I knew it too.

As expected, it really wasn't that long before Reese began picking up with her training...and burying those skeletons one bone at a time.  The fact that I had to work with her gave me the added incentive to set goals for her and to keep going.  Looking back, I couldn't tell you when it all started falling into place, but it did.  From the dock-diving events that she loves (www.dockdogs.com) to the humane education class with young children (http://washhumane.org/humaneeducation.asp), running partner, demo dog, and just overall, fitting into my home...my life.

It's a pity that it took a sick dog to remind me of just how lucky I really am...and, of what a huge mistake I almost made 2 years ago.  In my opinion there is no such thing as a perfect dog just like there is no such thing as a perfect person.  Two and Four legged alike; we all have our quirks, our strengths, and our weaknesses.  The difference is people can use the self-help aisle of a bookstore and dogs are just themselves... unless we intervene.  But, if we're willing to look at the whole picture, the one that encompasses the good along with the bad, we can share in the much greater gift dogs are willing to give us.  But we have to be prepared to give something back.

While I stumble my way through these cyber-diaries I will do my best to keep you abreast of exciting happenings within our department, as well as answer your behavior and training concerns.  And somewhere in the middle of writing all of this, the call I've been anticipating from the animal hospital has come through.  Her test results are in.  They were almost perfect.

Please feel free to email your questions to askthetrainer@washhumane.com or call me at 202.723.5730 ext. 122.  We offer private behavior and training consultations for cats and dogs, weekdays by appointment, at the Washington Humane Society's Behavior & Learning Center.  Keep an eye open on our website (http://washhumane.org/learningcenter.asp) for a full schedule of group training classes and behavior related seminars coming soon!

No wonder he's everyone's favorite!

By: Isabel

Bruno came to the shelter in mid-November. His previous family's older dog wouldn't accept a new sibling. It must have been an impossibly hard decision to give him up. Just look at that face!

While Bruno's on his way to becoming a pretty big guy (he's nearly full grown at 70lbs), he's only 8 months old and still a sensitive young boy inside. By late November he was losing weight and feeling kind of down. It's a tough adjustment, going from romping about in a home to being isolated in a kennel.

But in spite of his difficult circumstances, Bruno's won lots of fans, especially within our Shelter-In-Training program. Volunteer trainer Michael Trott says Bruno learned "shake" and "down" in a snap. They bonded at last Sunday's adoption event (thanks for Chateau Animaux in Capitol Hill for hosting!), where Bruno got along beautifully with every other dog and puppy he met.

And volunteer trainer Julie Stark says he's sooo gentle when offered a treat. Julie's also impressed with how smart he is. I found out during our clicker training session that not only does he pick up new skills quickly, he remembers them, too. See? This is "down". And if you stay a minute longer, he'll offer you his paw.

Yesterday Bruno was moved to our Georgia Avenue shelter. Hopefully the less overwhelming environment will help bring his appetite back. But what he really, really needs is his own person - someone he can go on walks with and snuggle up next to afterwards. Please come visit him; he'll be your best friend if you'll be his!

DSL (Dog as a Second Language)

I moved from Taipei to Baltimore just before 10th grade. I had kindergarten-level reading comprehension and couldn't understand a word anyone said. It took months before I could have a conversation without my Chinese/English dictionary in hand.

My early days with Sara, my first cat, brought back that familiar feeling. I know I didn't catch on quite as quickly as she liked, but I did eventually learn to understand (and obey) her commands.

Last week I realized I'm in yet another remedial language class. I was getting ready to take Cosi for a walk. The minute I snapped on his leash, he practically flew up the stairs. Yikes, I thought - he's more than I can handle! But before I could ask for help, it became clear that he's way more considerate than I gave him credit for. There he was, totally mellow and ready for a hug. He needed to go to the bathroom and was too well-mannered to make a mess in his kennel.

Same goes for Twinky, who seemed hyperactive when we first met. Thankfully a prospective adopter asked to meet her. The minute she was separated from her barking, bouncing neighbors, she became a cuddly lap dog. I would never have guessed!

One of these days, I want to speak dog like Julie does (click here for video if you don't see it below). She's a volunteer dog trainer and a team leader for our Shelter-in-Training program. Check out the rapport she has with Expresso!

BTW, all three dogs above are available for adoption. Cosi is a 4-year-old, 80lb Mastiff mix at our Georgia Avenue shelter. Twinky is a 1-year-old, 15lb Jack Russell Terrier mix at our New York Avenue shelter. Expresso is a 11-month-old, 55lb Lab mix at our Georgia Avenue shelter. Please come by and meet them!

Thanks, Expresso - I've been clicker-trained!

After clicker training orientation last weekend, I headed over to the Georgia Avenue shelter yesterday for my first practice session. I was feeling a little clueless, but Expresso welcomed me with a huge grin.

As I walked towards her kennel, she looked up at me and sat - exactly the behavior I was supposed to train her for! I fumbled and click-marked her good manners a full second too late. "Let's try again," she seemed to say, while wagging her tail in encouragement.

After catching the hot dog bits I threw her in mid-air, she walked a few steps, then turned to face me and sat again. Now that I was paying attention, my timing improved. Still, she thought I needed more work and repeated the exercise until my click and her movement were perfectly synchronized.

Kevin Simpson, our Director of Animal Behavior and Training, says clicker training is interactive. By repeatedly click-marking the same behavior, you're conditioning the dog to believe that she can trigger clicks (and therefore treats) by performing that particular activity. Dogs have a better time and become more engaged when they feel like they have some control.

Smart puppy that she is, Expresso *was* in control! She trained me to train her for the price of hot dog bits. Not a bad deal, I have to say. Expresso is available for adoption, by the way. She's a gorgeous 10-month old Lab mix who's fully grown at 55lbs. Please come by our Georgia Avenue shelter to meet her!