Clean Run Magazine - January 2008 - 13

Nicky could not even go for walks for fear he might hyperventilate and pass out, but with the Pigs Fly training system he was able to overcome his problems. Here he is, flying to his first agility title. Here is Ruby, who would almost never break out of a walk when she was a young dog, tearing through the weave poles. With the right training, Ruby went from “Dud” to “Dynamic!” © KENNETH REED PHOT OGRAPHY ©LOUIS B. RUEDIGER although it is a more limited term, it is an accurate description of the nature of these dogs and cuts to the core of why people have trouble training them. Sometimes I will even use the terms “difficult to train,” “hard to train,” and the like, but they should be taken with a grain of salt. The number-one rule for success is to pick out your dog’s strengths and work them to your advantage. It is important that you think of your dog in terms of all his wonderful attributes and not get caught up in any prejudgement about what he can or can’t do. Taking away negative labels and the stigma that goes with them is the first step in opening your mind to the potential in your dog. Any kind of dog may fall under the Pigs Fly umbrella—purebreds and mixed breeds alike. When I talk about Border Collies or terriers or any other breed or group of dog, it is just shorthand for a dog that shares those characteristics, mixed or purebred, with or without papers. Most of the terrier and hound groups can be classified as Pigs Fly dogs, but there are plenty of other breeds/mixes that can be Pigs Fly dogs, too. Generally, any dog that was originally bred to perform a task independently, without taking direction from (or being in cooperation with) a human teammate is going to be a Pigs Fly dog. If you are in doubt as to your dog’s heritage, but you can’t seem to get him to go along with your plans, he is in the Pigs Fly club. I spend a lot of time mentoring new Bull Terrier owners. Time and time again, I hear stories about the frustration and discouragement they experience when they go to training classes with their dog. Seems like a lot of instructors don’t want to be bothered with dogs that are not “easy” to train. Some instructors flat out recommend getting another breed. To me, this is just terrible. My dogs had three very different types of problems, but we worked through them, and the joy that I get every time we train or compete is beyond measure. The real reward for me was achieving goals and having fun with the dogs that I already loved. I want to make that reward available to anyone who desires it. Far from wanting an “easy” dog, I love my busy terriers whose brains are turning so fast that you can hear the whirling and clicking. I make no apologies 13 pack your suitcase,” you would probably say, “Why?” If the answer was, “Because I say so,” you might or might not actually pack your bag, and you would probably be a little resentful about being ordered around that way. Most people would want the courtesy of an explanation. Even if you did pack your bag, you would do so reluctantly. If, instead of, “Because I say so,” your spouse said, “We just won the lottery and to celebrate we are going to the French Rivera,” you’d run upstairs right away and pack, wouldn’t you? Well, non-biddable dogs think the same way that you do. Biddable dogs would not ask why if they were told to go upstairs and pack their bags, but non-biddable dogs would need more information before they made their choices about whether to comply with your request. Biddability, then, can be defined as removing why from the dog’s psyche. The biddable dog never asks why; he just does as you request. So, is it such a big deal if we have to answer why: Why should he sit/stay/walk on loose leash and so on? Because you are his master and he is within your dominion or because it happened that way on Lassie? Dream on. Because you are capable of giving him the doggie equivalent of a trip to the French Rivera if he does what you want? Now, your talkin’. Although lack of biddability is part of what makes your dog different from “easy” breeds, there is more to it than that. Your dog is the dog that asks the questions. He acts like he is deaf when you call him, but he could figure out how to escape from a high-security penitentiary if there was something he wanted on the outside. He’s probably inquisitive and on fire to explore the world—always scheming, but never scheming to figure out what you want. While he appears to have no interest in doing anything you want him to do, he is almost obsessive about performing tasks of his own choosing, like chasing squirrels, sniffing, or tearing apart upholstered furniture. Although he is affectionate, his agenda does not include doing anything to please you. Far from seeking your approval, at times he seems like he revels in the chaos that his disruptive behavior creates—sometimes you have a sneaking suspicion that he thinks it’s funny when you get angry. How do you describe a dog like that in one word or phrase? Independent? Stubborn? Hard to train? Challenging? Obsessive? Stupid? Intelligent? These are all valueladen terms that pass judgment on the dog, his attributes, and what he should or should not be able to do. They invite us to draw negative conclusions about the dog because of lack of understanding of dogs and how they think. I don’t believe that using those kinds of words or phrases to describe your dog will further your goal of becoming a happy team with your canine companion. I frequently use the term “Pigs Fly dog” as shorthand for a dog with all of the fabulous (yes, fabulous) qualities I described above. I like “Pigs Fly” because, although these dogs sometimes seem impossible to deal with, in fact they are trainable, even brilliantly trainable. I also use the term non-biddable because, January 08 | Clean Run

Clean Run Magazine - January 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - January 2008