I was sitting quietly at home one evening when the phone rang. "Do you train dogs?" the voice inquired. "I sure do," I answered. "Well," the voice hesitated, "Do you train dogs that bite." Something about the hesitation in the caller's voice was beginning to make me curious. "Yes, I have worked with dogs that bite," I replied. "You are the third trainer I've called and the other two did not want to have anything to do with my dog," he said with a note of concern in his voice. "Tell me a little more about the dog," I asked.
As it turned out, the caller had spent a considerable amount of money buying a pure bred pit bull and having it shipped from another part of the country. The dog was about a year old and guaranteed to be a good watch/guard dog. He had the dog for a couple of weeks and it had just sunk its' teeth into his wife's thigh the day before he called me. The callers' wife was insisting that the dog be put down. He, on the other hand, wanted to see if anything could be done to train the dog as he had found he really liked this dog.
I informed this prospective client that I would be over at his home the next afternoon and I asked him to not feed the dog until after I arrived. He agreed and said he would cooperate in any way I suggested as he really wanted to keep this dog if at all possible. He seemed relieved and hesitate at the same time. Apparently, the other two trainers had seen the dog and told the owner to have it put down as there was no way to work with this dog. I, on the other hand, had a secret weapon. The Gentle Method with The Sound Leash!
Late the next afternoon, driving to the clients home, I wondered if I was being a little overconfident. The Gentle Method had never let me down, but there was always a first time. This dog sounded like a real terror. The other trainers were responding to something when they advised having the dog put down. I was to find out very shortly why these other trainers had suggested the dog be put down.
After driving into the client's driveway, I checked to make sure I had everything I needed. A large plastic dog bowl, the Sound Leash, and the plastic bag with freshly fried beef heart sprinkled with garlic salt. I gathered everything together and made my way to the back of the house.
As I walked towards the back yard, I began hearing a combination of snarling, growling and barking that made my hair stand up on end. Without seeing this dog, I could tell it meant business. In all the years of being around dogs, I had never been bitten. I really had no desire to spoil this record.
If I had thought the sounds were a bit unnerving, the sight of this dog was even more intimidating. The evening before, I had confirmed with client that he would have the dog chained when I arrived. He was true to his word. There was a heavy duty collar on the dog's neck with a very stout chain attached to the doghouse. I was somewhat relieved, but it was very clear why the other two trainers had refused to work with this dog.
This dog's eyes, mouth and face said, if I can get close to you, I will definitely do my best to chew you up. He was at the very limit of the chain, straining with every bit of energy in his body, snapping and biting the air. It was obvious he was wishing I was just a little bit closer so those teeth could close on some part of my body.
About this time, the dogs' owner had come out of the house and was trying to calm the dog. It was a total waste of time. This dog was determined to have me for dinner. I was just as determined that he have what I brought for his dinner, namely the beef heart.
The expression on the clients face was one of resignation. He really believed it was hopeless. I told him to sit back and relax or go back into the house as I would handle it from here. He looked surprised, but walked over to a ledge near the house and sat down.
Prince, whom I had discovered was the name of this four legged biting machine, was still at the extreme end of his chain and still biting the air around him. I started to walk in a circle around the doghouse which acted as an anchor for Prince. Prince followed me around one loop which essentially shortened his chain by a good ten feet. The dog bowl was placed where I could easily toss food into it and still stay away from those bright white teeth.
I squatted down, staying just out of Prince's territory and tossed a small piece of the beef heart into the bowl. I waited. Prince stopped growling and snarling, looked at me and looked at the bowl. It was easy to see his nose was in good working order. He moved over to bowl and practically inhaled the small piece of beef heart and eyed me suspiciously. I tossed another piece into the bowl. Again, Prince waited just a moment, than gulped down the meat. With Prince, I did the process more slowly then usual. After about the fifth toss of the meat, I pulled the Sound Leash out of my pocket and pressed the switch just before tossing the meat into the bowl. As I activated the Sound Leash, Prince looked at me with some curiosity, but continued gulping down the meat.
The sequence of activating the Sound Leash, then tossing the meat into the bowl was continued for about twenty to twenty five repetitions. I stopped and waited. Prince had calmed down very nicely, and was standing by the bowl waiting for more of this tasty game. His goal of chewing me up from head to toe seemed to have been subdued for the time being.
I waited and Prince waited. I glanced momentarily over at my clients face. A look of real interest had replaced the look of resignation which was quite apparent a few minutes earlier. Prince finally did what I knew he would do if I could out wait him. He sat down. Immediately after he sat down, I activated the Sound Leash and tossed the meat into the bowl. Within a split second, Prince was on his feet again with his head in the bowl grabbing that piece of meat.
The first time it had taken about three minutes for Prince to sit. The second time, it took about ten seconds. The third time, it took, perhaps, two or three seconds. The forth time, I said, "SIT" just as Prince was starting to sit. By about the tenth repetition, Prince seemed to be enjoying the whole game. His expression had changed dramatically. I believe there was even a suggestion of a tail wag.
I then moved a few feet to my right. After a very slight delay, Prince moved a few feet to his right. I said, "PRINCE, SIT." Prince sat. After he sat, I activated the Sound Leash and tossed the piece of meat into his bowl. Prince raced over to the bowl and gulped down the meat. I moved a few feet to my left and repeated the process with the same result. I was fairly secure in the knowledge that Prince would a least sit on command at this point and that the Sound Leash was beginning to control his behavior. It was starting to reinforce whatever behavior which preceded the sound. In other words, the Sound Leash was starting to do its' job. Prince was learning, whether he liked it or not, but it was quite apparent Prince was liking both what he was learning and the way he was being taught.
On my next move to the other side of the food bowl, after telling Prince to sit, I waited. I waited about three to five seconds before making the sound with the Sound Leash. Prince sat patiently waiting. On the next move to the other side of the bowl, I said, "PRINCE SIT" and right after Prince sat I gave the comand "STAY," and waiting six or seven seconds before making the sound. Again, Prince sat patiently. I moved back and forth, on either side of the food bowl, giving the command, "SIT" followed by the command "STAY" and varying the time from a couple seconds to about fifteen seconds. Of course, each time the Sound Leash was activated, it was followed by my tossing a piece of food into the food bowl.
I happened to glance at the house and noticed the client's wife peeking out of the window watching this whole process. At this point, all I saw was a look of puzzlement on her face. At least it had changed from one of anger and hurt to one of puzzlement. It seemed we were making progress with the client, his wife and Prince.
The next step would be the real test. After I gave the command, "PRINCE STAY," I moved about a third of the way around the circumference of the circle of Prince's chain. I held my breath, but Prince stayed until he heard the Sound Leash. It was a race to get back to the bowl and toss the meat into it. I repeated this seven or eight times until I was quite sure Prince would stay when given the command, "STAY." I was also quite sure it would be safe to let Prince off his chain to continue the training in a more normal manner.
I moved in close to Prince with a couple pieces of meat in my hand. Prince smelled the meat and with surprising gentleness took the meat from my hand. In fact, he began licking the grease from the meat off my hand. Slowly I unhooked the chain from his collar after telling Prince to sit and stay. He did both.
Backing a few feet away, I said, "Prince Come." Prince got up and moved towards me. When he was nearly in front of me, I said, "Prince Sit." Prince sat. I then gave the stay command and moved away a little further and repeated the sequence of sit and stay. We moved all around the yard repeating this sequence and Prince performed like the Prince he was.
After putting Prince back on his chain, and watching him lay down peacefully, I approached my clients. By this time, my client's wife had joined her husband on the ledge and both of them looked quite impressed with what they had just witnessed. "If we had not seen it with our own eyes, we would never have believed what you just did was possible," the husband commented. "But, I have a question." he asked. "What in hell is that sound thing you kept making?"
I told him about the misconception most people have about the food being the most important controller of the behavior. He was surprised, as most people are, to hear it was the sound that actually was reinforcing and controlling the behavior. I also told him how it was critical to get the sound to the dog in four tenths of a second and that this was impossible when using just food. He said, "I don't understand it, but sure as hell, seeing is believing."
I then told the wife, it would be very important for her to work with me the next time I came as it would help her to overcome her fear of the dog and pair her with all the positive experiences that Prince was having. At first she was more than a little hesitant but as we talked she could see the logic in this procedure.
I returned about three or four more times and Prince behaved like the champ he really was under that very rough exterior. This story has a very happy ending. Not only did Prince become a very remarkable dog, but the wife of the client, as a result of working with Prince, really fell in love with him. In fact, Prince became "her dog."