Bichon Rescue |
|
DEB'S TIPS on
The NILIF program is
remarkable because it's effective for such a wide variety of problems. A shy,
timid dog becomes more relaxed knowing that he has nothing to worry about, his
owner is in charge of all things. A dog that's pushing too hard to become "top
dog" learns that the position is not available and that his life is far more
enjoyable without the title.
It is equally successful with dogs that fall anywhere between those two
extremes. The program is not difficult to put into effect and it's not time
consuming if the dog already knows a few basic obedience commands. I've never
seen this technique fail to bring about a positive change in behavior, however,
the change can be more profound in some dogs than others. Most owners use this
program in conjunction with other behavior modification techniques such as
coping with fear or treatment for aggression. It is a perfectly suitable
technique for the dog with no major behavior problems that just needs some fine
tuning.
ATTENTION ON DEMAND
The program begins by eliminating attention on demand. When your dog comes to
you and nudges your hand, saying "pet me! pet me!" ignore him. Don't tell him
"no", don't push him away. Simply pretend you don't notice him. This has worked
for him before, so don't be surprised if he tries harder to get your attention.
When he figures out that this no longer works, he'll stop. In a pack situation,
the top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the
other way around. When you give your dog attention on demand you're telling him
that he has more status in the pack than you do. Timid dogs become stressed by
having this power and may become clingy. They're never sure when you'll be in
charge so they can't relax. What if something scary happens, like a stranger
coming in the house? Who will handle that? The timid dog that is demanding of
attention can be on edge a lot of the time because he has more responsibility
than he can handle.
Some dogs see their ability to demand attention as confirmation that they are
the "alpha", then become difficult to handle when told to "sit" or "down" or
some other demand is placed on them. It is not their leadership status that
stresses them out, it's the lack of consistency. They may or may not actually be
alpha material, but having no one in the pack that is clearly the leader is a
bigger problem than having the dog assume that role full time. Dogs are happiest
when the pack order is stable. Tension is created by a constant fluctuation of
pack leadership.
EXTINCTION BURSTS
Your dog already knows that he can demand your attention and he knows what works
to get that to happen. As of today, it no longer works, but he doesn't know that
yet. We all try harder at something we know works when it stops working. If I
gave you a twenty dollar bill every time you clapped your hands together, you'd
clap a lot. But, if I suddenly stopped handing you money, even though you were
still clapping, you'd clap more and clap louder. You might even get closer to me
to make sure I was noticing that you were clapping. You might even shout at me
"Hey! I'm clapping like crazy over here, where's the money?". If I didn't
respond at all, in any way, you'd stop. It wasn't working anymore. That last try
-- that loud, frequent clapping is an extinction burst. If, however, during that
extinction burst, I gave you another twenty dollar bill you'd be right back in
it. It would take a lot longer to get you to stop clapping because you just
learned that if you try hard enough, it will work.
When your dog learns that the behaviors that used to get him your attention
don't work any more he's going to try harder and he's going to have an
extinction burst. If you give him attention during that time you will have to
work that much harder to get him turned around again. Telling him "no" or
pushing him away is not the kind of attention he's after, but it's still
attention. Completely ignoring him will work faster and better.
YOU HAVE THE POWER
As the human and as his owner you have control of all things that are wonderful
in his life. This is the backbone of the NILIF program. You control all of the
resources. Playing, attention, food, walks, going in and out of the door, going
for a ride in the car, going to the dog park. Anything and everything that your
dog wants comes from you. If he's been getting most of these things for free
there is no real reason for him to respect your leadership or your ownership of
these things. Again, a timid dog is going to be stressed by this situation, a
pushy dog is going to be difficult to handle. Both of them would prefer to have
you in charge.
To implement the NILIF program you simply have to have your dog earn his use of
your resources. He's hungry? No problem, he simply has to sit before his bowl is
put down. He wants to play fetch? Great! He has to "down" before you throw the
ball. Want to go for a walk or a ride? He has to sit to get his lead snapped on
and has to sit while the front door is opened. He has to sit and wait while the
car door is opened and listen for the word (I use "OK") that means "get into the
car". When you return he has to wait for the word that means "get out of the
car" even if the door is wide open. Don't be too hard on him. He's already
learned that he can make all of these decisions on his own. He has a strong
history of being in control of when he gets these resources. Enforce the new
rules, but keep in mind that he's only doing what he's been taught to do and
he's going to need some time to get the hang of it all.
You're going to have to pay attention to things that you probably haven't
noticed before. If you feed your dog from your plate do you just toss him a
green bean? No more. He has to earn it. You don't have to use standard obedience
commands, any kind of action will do. If your dog knows "shake" or "spin around"
or "speak" use those commands. Does your dog sleep on your bed? Teach him that
he has to wait for you to say "OK" to get on the bed and he has to get down when
you say "off". Teach him to go to his bed, or other designated spot, on command.
When he goes to his spot and lays down tell him "stay" and then release him with
a treat reward. Having a particular spot where he stays is very helpful for when
you have guests or otherwise need him out of the way for a while. It also
teaches him that free run of the house is a resource that you control. There are
probably many things that your dog sees as valuable resources that I haven't
mentioned here.
The NILIF program should not be a long, drawn out process. All you need to do
is enforce a simple command before allowing him access to what he wants. Dinner,
for example, should be a two or three second encounter that consists of nothing
more than saying "sit", then "good dog!", then putting the bowl down and walking
away.
ATTENTION AND PLAY
Now that your dog is no longer calling the shots you will have to make an extra
effort to provide him with attention and play time. Call him to you, have him
"sit" and then lavish him with as much attention as you want. Have him go get
his favorite toy and play as long as you both have the energy. The difference is
that now you will be the one initiating the attention and beginning the play
time. He's going to depend on you now, a lot more than before, to see that he
gets what he needs. What he needs most is quality time with you. This would be a
good time to enroll in a group obedience class. If his basic obedience is top
notch, see about joining an agility class or fly ball team.
NILIF DOES *NOT* MEAN THAT
YOU HAVE TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION YOU GIVE TO YOUR DOG. The NILIF
concept speaks to who initiates the attention (you!), not the amount of
attention. Go ahead and call your dog to you 100 times a day for hugs and
kisses!! You can demand his attention, he can no longer demand yours!
Within a day or two your dog will see you in a whole new light and will be eager
to learn more. Use this time to teach new things, such as 'roll over' or learn
the specific names of different toys.
If you have a shy dog, you'll see a more relaxed dog. There is no longer any
reason to worry about much of anything. He now has complete faith in you as his
protector and guide. If you have a pushy dog he'll be glad that the fight for
leadership is over and his new role is that of devoted and adored pet.
©1999 Deb McKean