Looking for some good news? Well here it is: Dr. Karen London’s new book, Treat Everyone Like a Dog, is out, and it’s fantastic. Here’s what Ken Ramirez says about it–“My only complaint: I wish I had written it!” When Ken says that, it’s time to pay attention.
Here’s from the Foreward that I was honored to write:
“You know how you think of the perfect thing to say when it’s too late? Perhaps while driving home from a meeting, or while soaping up in the shower? That’s me, and I know I’m not alone. Perhaps it’s you too. But it’s not Dr. Karen London, who has the quickest wit of anyone I know, and can be counted on to say the perfect thing, at exactly the right time.
And she’s done it again, because this is a book of perfect things, things that will make your life oh-so-much better by incorporating the principles of dog training into your life. Would you like your spouse to bring you flowers more often? Your kids to hang up their clothes, or resist the candy in the checkout line? . . . as Karen reminds us, good dog trainers get their dogs to do amazing things–like stopping on a dime while chasing a rabbit, or dropping a greasy food wrapper after hearing a quiet word from their owners. If we can get highly-motivated predators, members of another species, to happily run to us and avoid eating food that magically appears in front of them, then surely we can get our kids to stop at the curb rather than running into the street after a ball!”
All of us professional dog trainers know how to do this, right? But no one walks the walk like Dr. London. I know a lot of kick-ass dog trainers, but I don’t know of anyone who has incorporated the basic principles of learning into her life as well as she has. How often do even the most skilled of trainers among us struggle to influence some simple behavior of the people in our life? Not to mention ourselves? We may be able to call our Labrador away from a half-eaten hamburger, or stop our German shepherd from chasing a rabbit, but can we get our spouse to pick up their dirty laundry? Our kids to write thank you notes? Karen uses examples from her own life that illustrate how much of good dog training can make our lives better, including a sweet story about one of her sons who had a medical problem that made eating difficult for awhile. Like a lot of kids, he also found it hard to sit still at the table. Karen used shaping to reinforce first just eating–anything, anywhere–and gradually upped the reinforcement to eat a full meal at the dinner table. Her own patience and thoughtful progression with what is often a loaded issue (the kid’s gotta eat!) is an inspiration to us all.
I mean it literally when I said the book is inspiring: I was reading a draft of the book one early morning, frustrated with myself because I kept forgetting to take a medication I needed to take an hour before eating. I found myself forgetting to take it day after day, and then castigating myself for being so forgetful. And then I got to the section where Karen talks about the value of keeping a log, and decided to cross off every day that I remembered on a calendar. (I’m one of those people who will actually, heaven help me, add something to a To Do list in order to cross it off–I find it that reinforcing.) I also chose a calendar with beautiful photos of birds, which itself made me happy. You know what happened: After two weeks I never forgot again.
Here’s my favorite personal example, as I described in the Foreward:
“When I was first dating my husband, he told me that his ex-wife complained often that he rarely called or emailed her during the day, even when it was about something important that would take little time. As someone in the flush of a new romance, I knew I’d want to check in on occasion during the day. I consciously decided that I’d never mention it if he didn’t respond to me, but flirted with him shamelessly when he did. It took less than a month for him to be emailing or calling more often than I did.”
Without doubt one of my favorite parts of the book is Karen’s come back to those who say that using positive reinforcement to influence the behavior of our family and friends is “manipulative.” She notes that no one ever says that about negative responses, like complaints or punishments. She’s right: Who has ever heard “How manipulative!” after a parent tells a child to stop crying, or complains to a spouse about not putting gas in the car. But, of course, we are trying to influence the behavior of those around us, as well as ourselves, all the time. It’s simply part of being a social species. What’s surprising is how often we resort to negatives, when they so rarely work. What’s wonderful is how often other techniques, like positive reinforcement, capturing behavior, and focusing on one thing at a time, can work wonders.
No matter how well-versed you are in understanding how individuals learn and change their behavior, I can’t imagine not getting something important from this book. It’s also funny and heart-warming and in my opinion, is going to be a classic. That said, here’s more from the Foreword:
Full disclosure; I’m not completely objective here. I first met Karen when she became my Teaching Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996. The class, “The Biology and Philosophy of Human-Animal Relationships” had 150 students, a curriculum full of controversy, and required a lot of interaction between me, her, and the students. There was a lot to juggle and Karen was so helpful I began calling her Radar, like Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly in the television series M*A*S*H. Radar always had the question answered before it was asked, and defined the word “invaluable.” We went on to work together at Dog’s Best Friend Training, where Karen worked her way up from Assistant Trainer to behavior consultant, working with some of our most difficult aggression cases. . . . Karen has incorporated dog training principles into her daily life better than anyone I know, and I know a lot of kick ass animal trainers. No one walks the walk like she does. Reading this book inspired me, and it will you too. Honestly, and truly, I can’t wait for you to read this book.
I asked Karen recently what inspired her to write this book, and I loved her answer as much as I love the book: “The book isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.” She also said that “Treat Everyone Like a Dog is a love letter to dog trainers and a manual for everyone else.” Nice.
Dr. Karen London and Super Bee
Now, it’s your turn. I can’t wait to hear your examples of how you have used science-based animal training principles to influence your own behavior or that of those around you. The ones with two legs. Send comments about your successes (and failures, why not?), and then go order Treat Everyone Like a Dog.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Lots of you enjoyed the video of Maggie’s runs at the Nippersink Sheepdog Trial, so here’s my 2nd run with Skip at the Cedar Stone Farm Trial earlier in October. Our first run was better, but I thought this one would be more interesting because it shows where Skip and I need to do more work.
[Note: I’d advise muting the whole thing. The wind noise is awful, you can hear lots of chatter in the background and almost none of my signals to Skip.]
He did nice outrun but a bit wide. See how, at second 32, he went into that break in the trees on the left? He lost a point or two for that (out of 20), and used up valuable time. He did nice, quiet lift (sec 46), but again, was so far back and so cautious he used up more valuable time (and a point or two, out of 10). Not surprising though, Skip was trained in Ireland where the sheep are like deer and have to be handled with kid gloves. A top handler told me it takes a year at least for a dog from the UK to adapt to US sheep. Also, note how differently each of the sheep reacted–they were eating grain and needed different amounts of pressure to leave it.
I was happy with his Fetch starting around sec 60; it was pretty straight and right through the gates. (Worth 20 points, bringing the sheep straight to the handler–note I’m far to the right of the camera.) He stopped once when I hadn’t asked him to, which was surprising, because he was a bit fast on the first run. I’m going to have to watch him on that; he tends to be almost too afraid of getting into trouble, and that could come back to hurt us when he is older, when dogs get even more cautious. The fetch ends after the sheep are turned around the handler at the post (2:40 sec). Our turn was okay, but could have been tighter, especially since these sheep are so used to people.
We started the drive (3o points) around sec 2:59, and he did a really lovely first leg to the first gates, made them dead on. The cross drive began well, but around 4:13 Skip took matters in his own paws and swung around to bring the sheep back to me. I can’t tell you exactly why any one dog does that, but it’s common in younger dogs, and is best described as “This cross-driving stuff is hard/stressful, and bringing the sheep back to you is much easier and ensures that we have control of the sheep.” I gave him a verbal correction (Hey!), and got him back in line. But we missed the second gates–all on me, it’s remarkably hard to manage one’s depth perception on that second gate, and had a sloppy last leg from the gates to the pen. That’s where we lost most of our points. We made the pen, but had run out of time by then. He only got a total of 50 points out of 90, but his run looked better than his score and I’m not unhappy with it, given that we are both learning how to work as a team and I’m still struggling with finding the line between the two drive gates.
Sometime soon Jim and I will make a video of me working Skip or Maggie so that you can hear my whistles and see the dog respond. I know a lot of you asked about them; we aim to please. (And yeah, someday soon I’ll get it together and put titles on the videos. Sigh.)
There’s a sprinkling of snow on the ground as I write this, and the fall colors are fading fast. Soon it’ll be the black, white and brown of November through April, so I am soaking in every last pixel of color I can find. Here’s our prettiest tree right now, a wild Serviceberry growing beside a ditch:
Did mention I spoiled myself with a new macro lens? I had fun with it this weekend. This riot of red and pink is in some containers by our front door. I need to get the pots to the barn for the winter soon, but will wait til the flowers are dead but before the soil freezes, expands, and destroys the containers. Not that I have any experience with that . . .
My Maggie with the new lens. I love the background.
Send us your stories of how you’ve used dog training principles to influence the tw0-legged members of your life. I can’t wait to read them!
Cathy Bleecker says
Hey there! I hope you don’t mind, but I’m a detail nut and I wanted to pass on a mistake I see on your website. On your very first paragraph, the restating of the title of the book says “Every” instead of “Everyone.” I’m guessing you’ll want to fix that.
Trisha says
Great catch Cathy, much appreciated!
Margaret says
My favorite story, always and forever, will be teaching a resident of the long-term care facility where I worked to find her way back to bed from the bathroom with a string of rope lights, a clicker, and a bag of M&Ms. She had advanced Altzheimer’s, and could find the bathroom, but got lost on the way back, and could not remember to use her call light.
It took me about three weeks to get permission to try (family, administrator, DON, unit manager, social worker all had to sign off), and about three nights to teach her. Considerable improvement in her quality of life.
Oddly enough, although the rear echelon was quite supportive, a number of my fellow CNAs complained I was “treating her like a dog”.
That’s a problem?
Terry Golson says
The book sounds excellent. Like an updated version of Don’t Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor.
Marcia McGinnis says
I was a paralegal for a very angry attorney, “Bob,” for 4 years—no one had lasted that long in the job before me. I had always had good experiences with employers so he was my first mean boss. But gradually I stopped taking his anger —when he was nice, wanted to chat and was pleasant. I would chat with him, smile, and continue to be a professional partner. But when he was screaming and rude, I walked away and went back to my office and got to work. I just wouldn’t “take on” his abuse. So he stopped yelling at me. I had a lot of experience and was able to work p unsupervised, bringing in skills to the position that other paralegals had not, and gradually he was nice to me most of the time, to the amazement of others at the firm. When they would ask why Bob was so nice to me and no one else, I said because I wouldn’t take it. Ironically, a few years into the job I was reading another dog training book about positive reenforcement and a difficult Doberman, and thought, “Oh, no! It’s Bob!”
Amy says
OH MAN…this is the book I need! I was a professional dog trainer for 12 years, and then I had kids and closed my business. It is SO much harder to apply everything I know about dogs and R+ to the human beings I live with LOL. (I am at least grateful I have the background I do, or I would be a whole lot worse off!) Thank you so much for reviewing this book, I’m buying it right now!
Amy says
Forgot to add: I am not a herding dog person at all–terriers own my heart, forever–but I could watch a dog work sheep all day long. Thank you so much for sharing these videos, and please do share more. You listed all of your mistakes and Skip’s mistakes, but I got chills watching the two of you work together. It is nothing short of jaw-dropping what these dogs can do!
Amy S says
Thanks for sharing your book recommendation, sounds like a good one! I don’t have an exact example of how I’ve used my dog training principles with humans other than when I start to get frustrated or know I’m about to deal with someone who will frustrate me, I tend to “kill them with kindness” or follow the “you catch more flies with honey. . .” theory. I have lived in the south for 12 years now so when dealing with someone frustrating I find myself making an extra effort to say “yes ma’am/sir” almost as a signal or cue for myself to keep my emotions in check! I guess the point is, when I consciously use more positive language and try very hard to focus on the positive, I have a much better interaction with humans in situations which might normally send me over the edge!
I am also amazed to watch you and your dogs work sheep! Must be an “Amy” thing! ;-). I do have a question about herding but from the other side – we know so much and focus so much about the dog side of things, but what do we know about how the sheep or cattle feel about being herded by dogs? By “feel” I mean do we see differences in the “herdee” as far as stress levels maybe presenting in the quality of their “products” (wool, milk, meat) or even in their digestive response (poop, eating habits, vomiting, etc.)? Just curious since I think I might be a little freaked out or annoyed by a dog trying to interrupt my lunch or enjoyment of a beautiful day just to go stand in some stupid pen (yes, totally anthropomorphizing a sheep!).
Cathy Balliu says
That looks like a fun trial field to run on. Skip is a lovely scopey dog with really nice square flanks. Sometimes those flanks bit you in the butt though since he feels the sheep space and takes him time pushing into it. I think the pen placement screwed your turn around the post because he wanted to flank bigger to the away and go around the pen. It took him a bit to come in between the pen and you – again his space issue. And the cross drive is a bugaboo for sure. Overflanking will kill you. Looks like the wind was more into your face so the whistle sounds may have been distorted too. He looks like a really run dog to run 🙂
Vicky Stewart-Moore says
Great run! Thanks for sharing.
Beth says
I’m not an “official” dog trainer, but I have trained many of my own dogs….for better or for worse. Until you mentioned using these techniques with people, I had never thought of it. Now I realize I WAS doing some people training…..for better or for worse!
Anne Johnson says
Wholeheartedly agree that Karen’s book was of perfect timing for what I needed to read. Her insight and approach to humankind behavior was spot on. I’ve worked with her as a behaviorist for my two dogs. I can read and follow a trainer’s guidebook, but Karen’s constant watchful eye and willingness to listen is most valuable. This comes across in her writings as though she is sitting right there with me. Well done.
Kat says
Many years ago I taught classes for a homeschool program run by the school district. One of the classes I taught I called “Dig Those Dogs.” Think behaviorism 101 for K-3rd and 4th-8th grade students. I clicker trained each class and always had wonderfully behaved and cooperative students. One year I had a very disruptive and attention seeking 4th grader that all the other teachers really struggled with. In our first few classes I consistently reinforced him for the behavior I wanted and ignored all efforts at attention seeking through disruption. By our fourth class he was no longer interrupting me but he began annoying the other students to get their reactions. I explained clearly to the other students and to him that it was inappropriate attention seeking behavior and that if we wanted it to stop we needed to reward the behavior we wanted and not the behavior we didn’t. So I began reinforcing him for not bothering other students and the other students for ignoring him. Then when the inappropriate attention seeking was beginning to wane I started reinforcing all appropriate interactions–if another student complimented him on staying in his seat both got the M&M reward, for example. Pretty soon every kid in the class was on the look out for any example of appropriate behavior and I had the whole class training him to be a model student. It was one of the best classes I ever taught and I suspect those students learned more about reinforcing desired behavior than any other similar class. Whenever I taught that class I’d have a waiting list of students wanting to be in it. I’ll always have fond memories of teaching it.
Once when I was teaching K-3rd Dig Those Dogs I had many of the same students in whatever the other class I was teaching was (probably Sweet Math–math problems with candy) and after they’d told all the other students how much fun it was to be clicker trained the whole class was asking if I could clicker train them too. The administration told me it was OK in the class about dogs but not in any other class. I’ve always thought that was a rather short sighted attitude on their part.
Barbara Byer says
I haven’t finished Ken’s newest book yet, but Dr. London’s book is going on my must read list. My graduate courses in special education were strongly rooted in operant conditioning. Experience over the years training dogs while teaching students of all ages and abilities revealed that the basic principles of effective learning are universal. The more I learn about teaching people, the better dog trainer I become. And vice versa.
Trisha says
Cathy, agree completely about Skip’s wide flanks sometimes causing trouble. He Works like he’s afraid to get in and get in trouble. I see my job this winter to be encouraging him in and to put more pressure on the sheep directly. He is a truly lovely dog to run, I just hope I am up to helping him and then handling him better during the trials. As a friend of mine said, a super smart woman and good dog trainer, “I’ve never worked so hard to be mediocre at something in my life.”
Trisha says
Amy, sheep are just like dogs and people… every one is different. Some are no doubt irritated more than others about being herded around a course. The sheep in this trial are old hands at it, sort of professional trial sheep. They are brilliant at reading dogs and beating them at their own game. But theres no doubt they’d rather be left alone. It would be dishonest to say anything else. I will say that this entire sport was initiated by people who raise sheep for a living, and stressed sheep don’t do well for their farmers. The whole idea is to manage sheep in the least stressful way possible. Trials, of course, are games we play, but the ones I go to put sheep welfare front and center. The sheep are given lots of time to rest, good food and water. Any dog abusing sheep is immediately disqualified. Hope that answers your questions!
Trisha says
Kat, I love hearing about your class! So ironic that your brilliant work was only okay in the “dog” class even though it solved so many problems. We are such a strange species!
DogMom2 says
This book is officially on my list!
I have literally been told I should treat humans like I treat dogs. I am a super introvert and can come off as unfriendly to humans without even trying. However, when I see a dog, I always smile and often wave or speak to them if the situation allows it, even if I don’t know the dog (yes, people laugh at me, that’s okay). If it’s a dog I “know” I make a BIG DEAL out of it — “There she is! It’s Emma! What a good girl!” So I decided to try it out on a coworker one day when he came into the office. “Bob! There he is! what a good boy!” Did that ever get some looks…lol
Alison Scott says
THANK YOU SO MUCH
You nail it with your thoughts on things.- Adding to lists to then be able to tick! I know well.
Just thank you , thank you. I always get something from your news.
Trisha says
Thank YOU Alison, great reinforcement!
Alexander says
Greetings from “Down Under”–we are a wee bit i nto “shiftin sheep”— at this end of the world as well—could not resist the implied invitations and co-relationship of your comments, the title of Dr London’s new book and Amy S’s stress confessions ——the following from a fellow “sheep mover” down here may have some relevance——- ” Handle every stressful situation like a dog, if you cannot drive it,play with it, or eat it, just pee on it and walk away!!!”
Love your posts —–and look forward to their arrivals–not as young/ fit as I used to be and am currently being retrained by a recently adopted twelve year old dog—she is doing a great job. Keep safe, Baz.
Ingrid says
Thank you for drawing this book to our attention. I look forward very much to reading it. The topic is something I think about almost daily.
Erienadadora says
Looking forward to reading but PLEASE publish an ebook along with the paper copy. You can go to Amazon where the book is listed and click on the “tell the publisher” link to vote for ebook. [Yes paper books are wonderful but for peoplr w/poor vision books w/enlargeable print are awesome]
Trisha says
eBook is on the way I hear! I’ll put the word out when it’s done. Karen is hoping for December.
Laurie Campbell says
I just ordered the book! I loved the video.
Way back in the 1980s at a state university studying special education we used those M&MS for reinforcement. Now it’s considered below human dignity in the field.
Jenna says
I’d love to buy it through an independent bookshop. When I searched on Bookshop.org and IndieBound. Are B&N and Amazon the only sellers? I prefer to support local or buy direct, Thanks!
Noel says
While seeing a therapist, SHE was the one who suggested I use the techniques I use in dog training to learn to be kinder to myself. I was like, “Duh! What a concept”! Yes, we are such a strange species.
I love your blog! Educational and entertaining along with awesome photography! It’s been lovely getting to “know” you over the years. I’ve commented to your posts on numerous occasions (in my head), but this is the first time I’ve had the courage to send. Now you can see why I needed help from a therapist. 😉
Will definitely be ordering Dr. Karen’s book.
Trisha says
Noel: Love the therapist recommendation! Good for her. Amazing how hard it is to be kind to ourselves, isn’t it? Every once in a while I write a letter to myself on a pretty card, and mail it as if to a friend. Crazy how good it feels to open the envelope and read what was written.
Kathy says
My mother-in-law always used to complain about other family members to me on the phone. After reading “Don’t Shoot the Dog,” I decided to be totally silent every time she started griping, but effusive when she said something nice. It really only took two phone calls.
Trisha says
Nice work Kathy!
Kat says
I had to pop back and tell this story now that the book has arrived and I’m reading it. My daughter noticed it sitting on my nightstand and wanted to know if it was good. I’m telling her about it and mention that while I was no where near as consistent or well thought out about it as Karen London I did try to raise them with positive reinforcement. After a bit of questioning she recognized that yes, it really was positive reinforcement. About that point her brother wanders in and she says to him, “did you know Mom uses positive reinforcement on us all the time.” He looks at her like she hasn’t a clue and replies, “I’ve known that for years.” I had to laugh.