In today’s world, everybody focuses on the negatives. The media reports bad news. People notice faults in everyone else, as well as themselves. In parenting, children doing something wrong rarely go unpunished, but when they do something right, it is seldom rewarded.
As a parent, I fell right into the trend. Little time was spent praising my five-year-old daughter for the things she did right, while most of my energy was focused on the things she did wrong. Consistency was a huge flaw: I’m not sure I ever rewarded the same act or punished one on a consistent basis.
Fortunately, I was privileged with an internship training future service dogs. Training a dog requires patience I never realized I could have. And while I was training the dogs, they were also training me, unknowingly at first, how to be a better parent.
A Constant Watchfulness
With dog training, simple tasks like “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come” are all very basic. More advanced tasks, such as opening a door or turning on or off a light are very time consuming and stressful – both for the dog and the trainer.
Shaping the behavior of a dog, as well as a child, requires a constant watchfulness, almost as if you need eyes in the back of your head. It also requires consistent positive and negative reinforcement. Correcting mistakes while rewarding for a job well done are both crucial for development.
Take the dog and the light switch, for example. Never in my life have I been more annoyed, more impatient, and more ready to give up. Prior to learning this task, the dog is taught various other tasks and behaviors that aid in the process, such as “here,” “sit,” and “look.” As with everything, we all have our own pace of learning, our own intelligence, and our own forms of motivation and our problem-solving skills.
Two Dogs, Two Learning Styles
You can have two dogs, one more intelligent whose motivation is treat-driven (Navi), versus a slower one who is just eager to please (Gabe). You will get two completely different and creative responses to the training to get the reward they are looking for.
To shape the behavior you need, you use gradual steps. First, you place the dog in a “sit” in front of the light, and give the command “look” as you point towards the switch. Next comes the command “light,” which has various steps, including luring the dog to the switch with your finger, getting them to touch their nose to it, and then flipping the light switch on. Consistency is key. If, in the beginning stages, you reward the wrong thing, or miss an opportunity to reward, you create confusion.
With Navi, the beginning was easy. She followed the treat to the light, and put her nose on it over and over again, each time to get the treat. As the treats started to go away and more was required from her, her motivation went away, along with her judgment.
Without the resulting treat, she saw no need to attempt that behavior, so her creativity and problem solving kicked in and she did a ‘down’ and looked up for the treat. When no treat came, she would wait me out, thinking she was smarter and more patient.
Gabe would follow the same steps in the beginning, but when it came to the last step, he wanted the treat, but was even more eager to receive praise and make me happy. He went out of his way to perform every task he already knew: “sit,” “down,” “turn,” “roll,” and so on. Not getting a treat would make Gabe try anything to please.
When this point was reached, a simple positive correction, “nope,” was given to stop the wrong behavior. Dogs, as well as children, can sense when they are in charge of a situation. You can’t make it personal, but at the same time, you can’t lose.
The next step was to reattempt the task. Again, patience and calm were critical, and at times very difficult. This process was repeated until I achieved the desired outcome; in this case, the actual effort to flip the switch, even if it was unsuccessful. Always ending on a positive note was key for the dog to learn and be enthusiastic about trying again next time the switch was presented.
Find Your Child’s Motivation
The same idea applies to children. Each child is different and has their own motivation and agenda, so each child ultimately requires different techniques to get the appropriate response. Bad behavior that is punished while good behavior goes unnoticed simply leads to more bad behavior. Simple reward systems such as money for grades, time in front of the television or computer for good behavior, or even a simple “good job” will go a long way in shaping a child to perform properly and advance in life.
In the beginning, my parenting techniques were not very well established. My patience was low, and I rarely rewarded my daughter for doing something right, but harped on her for doing something wrong. If I wanted something done, I expected it right away, not in 10 minutes. If I told her not to do something, she had better not – or else.
To be fair, a lot of my parenting was related to my experience with my own parents. I have no problem with how I was raised, but I believe there is always a better way to do things. I know, for example, that my parents’ reactions caused me to rebel a lot more than most kids, and I feared the same for my daughter. What I desire for her, more than anything, is that she grow up to be a respectable, high-functioning member of society.
A Better Parent
Working with dogs has slowly but surely molded my behavior into a more efficient way of parenting. I am more patient. I shape my responses, and what I notice. I push through difficult learning experiences, like teaching my daughter letters and numbers, and how to read and write.
The ability to tolerate her pace and reward her for her attempts has been key, and she has made vast improvements as I have employed these new techniques. Working with the dogs has given me a common connection to be able to teach my daughter, and the dogs have trained me just as much – if not more – than I have trained them.
I still have a lot of work and progress ahead, but the foundation is there, and continues to grow. I still don’t have it all figured out, but it has brought out a new person in me, as well as in her. She has her boundaries, knows what is expected of her, and loves the rewards she receives for doing it right.
Sgt. Gordon is a former Warrior Trainer at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. In 2013, Sgt. Gordon was the recipient of service dog Birdie at Warrior Canine Connection’s first graduation.
Veterans’ Therapy Goes to the Dogs – CBSNews.com
February 18, 2015 – WASHINGTON — When Lt. Tommy Faulkenberry came home to his wife and four sons in 2012, after 12 years at sea with the U.S. Coast Guard, he found his transition to civilian life especially difficult. He had contracted a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and as the physical toll on him mounted, depression, anxiety, and prescription drug dependence followed.
View the video and read the article here.
Puppies at Warrior Canine Connection More Than Just a Cute Face – WNEW
February 3, 2015 – The puppies at Warrior Canine Connection are more than just a cute, fluffy face — they’re service dogs in training. Warrior Canine Connection is a nonprofit service dog organization that provides therapeutic intervention for service members in treatment for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Click here to read the article.
From pups to healers: Companions change wounded warriors’ lives – WTOP Radio
November 24, 2014 – Can a furry, four-legged creature really help save a life? Many wounded warriors and their spouses say, “yes.”
It’s in part thanks to the Warrior Canine Connection. The pioneering program enlists recovering wounded service members to train service dogs for fellow wounded members. Read the article, see the video and picture gallery, and download the full audio report here.
2015 WCC Calendars for Sale
Solid Gold Partners With Warrior Canine Connection — Pet Age
October 27, 2014 – Solid Gold Pet and the Solid Gold Foundation have developed an exclusive alliance with Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), a national nonprofit organization that enlists recovering warriors in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow veterans. Read the full story at Pet Age.
Furry therapy: Group connects veterans and dogs — Frederick News Post
July 6, 2014 – A cold wet nose and wagging tail have given many a sad or weary heart a lift.
But seeing his dog Gabe ease the anxiety of an 11-year-old boy who was leaving his mother and moving into foster care gave social worker Rick Yount an idea.
That led Yount and Gabe, a pup given him by friends who had fought in Operation Desert Storm, to embark on the golden retriever’s work as a certified therapy dog.
Twelve years later the gift came full circle when Yount started a program using dogs like Gabe to help veterans recover from the psychological and physical wounds they suffered in war.
Read the full story at the Frederick News Post.
Researchers try to verify whether canines help patients with TBI, PTSD — Marine Corps Times
June 26, 2014 – For dog lovers, it’s an absolute: The unconditional love of a canine companion heals the soul, reaching into the heart to cross canyons of loneliness and despair.
Military researchers now are trying to learn if there’s real science behind that semimystical link — and if so, whether it can help treat the signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
A $5 million study is underway at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to evaluate whether and how training service dogs may help patients with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Participating troops are paired with puppies that they will raise for two years to serve as assistance dogs for other injured veterans.
Anecdotal personal stories aside, a handful of studies have suggested that working with dogs releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone that promotes bonding. The new research seeks to quantify these observations.
“There’s not a lot of information. … It’s hard to conduct randomized, controlled trials as to why some people benefit,” said Navy Capt. Robert Koffman, a psychiatrist contributing to the study as part of his job at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda.
The research is modeled on a program started five years ago at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health System in California.
Rick Yount, executive director of the nonprofit Warrior Canine Connection, which breeds golden and Labrador retrievers to become service dogs, said the program succeeds by combining the power of the human-animal bond with the “warrior ethos” of helping brothers-in-arms.
Being in need of mental health treatment is “contrary” to how combat troops see themselves, Yount said, “but tell them you need volunteers to help train service dogs, and a lot of hands go up.”
The study involves at least 40 service members, half of whom will train dogs.
The research will follow participants through the program, examining physiological responses — such as heart rate and stress markers — as well as any psychiatric changes before, during and after the study period.
If the results are anything like what Palo Alto has seen, Yount said troops will benefit, and a new crop of hard-working service dogs will be available for injured vets.
“While service members are trying to teach the dog that the world is a safe place, they are, at the same time, working on their own triggers,” Yount said.
The study is the first Defense Department research to examine the interaction between dogs and humans with head injuries or mental health conditions.
A larger, different study is just getting underway at the Veterans Affairs Department, but that research will focus on the effectiveness of trained psychiatric service dogs as well as companion dogs — pets — to ease PTSD symptoms.
On any given day, service dogs can be spotted strolling through the NICoE, Building 62, which houses injured troops, and the America Building outpatient clinics at Walter Reed-Bethesda.
Koffman’s golden-Lab mix, Ron, works as an animal assistance therapy dog, breaking the ice between his handler and patients.
He said the magnetic draw of dogs is one of many reasons they’re beneficial to patients with anxiety disorders, including PTSD.
“When you have a dog in public that’s as irresistible as mine, it’s almost impossible to get anywhere on time,” he said. “It forces a person to socialize.”
The Pentagon is expected to update Congress on the research’s progress next year. Advocates say the results may guide the military, veteran and medical communities on canine-assisted therapy, service dog policies, medical treatment and more.
Retired Army Col. Elspeth Ritchie, lifelong dog lover and chief clinical officer for the Washington, D.C., Department of Mental Health, said dog therapies “are not yet a ‘best practice.’ … They’re still new and emerging.”
“But the anecdotal information — just from talking with the service member — is so strong,” she said. “As complementary or alternative medicine, it’s powerful.”
First published in the June 26, 2014 online issue of Marine Corps Times.
Power of Dogs to Heal Our Veterans — FOX News Network
May 30, 2014 – Warrior Canine Connection helps brave vets recover from the battlefield.
View the clip from Fox News’ The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson.”
Military Therapy Dogs Help Soldiers — ABC Nightly News
May 27, 2014 – Therapy dogs trained to sense a soldier’s distress are doing wonders to help veterans return to family life.
Watch the ABC Nightly News Clip at abcnews.com.
Training a Dog to Train Me
In today’s world, everybody focuses on the negatives. The media reports bad news. People notice faults in everyone else, as well as themselves. In parenting, children doing something wrong rarely go unpunished, but when they do something right, it is seldom rewarded.
As a parent, I fell right into the trend. Little time was spent praising my five-year-old daughter for the things she did right, while most of my energy was focused on the things she did wrong. Consistency was a huge flaw: I’m not sure I ever rewarded the same act or punished one on a consistent basis.
Fortunately, I was privileged with an internship training future service dogs. Training a dog requires patience I never realized I could have. And while I was training the dogs, they were also training me, unknowingly at first, how to be a better parent.
A Constant Watchfulness
With dog training, simple tasks like “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come” are all very basic. More advanced tasks, such as opening a door or turning on or off a light are very time consuming and stressful – both for the dog and the trainer.
Shaping the behavior of a dog, as well as a child, requires a constant watchfulness, almost as if you need eyes in the back of your head. It also requires consistent positive and negative reinforcement. Correcting mistakes while rewarding for a job well done are both crucial for development.
Take the dog and the light switch, for example. Never in my life have I been more annoyed, more impatient, and more ready to give up. Prior to learning this task, the dog is taught various other tasks and behaviors that aid in the process, such as “here,” “sit,” and “look.” As with everything, we all have our own pace of learning, our own intelligence, and our own forms of motivation and our problem-solving skills.
Two Dogs, Two Learning Styles
You can have two dogs, one more intelligent whose motivation is treat-driven (Navi), versus a slower one who is just eager to please (Gabe). You will get two completely different and creative responses to the training to get the reward they are looking for.
To shape the behavior you need, you use gradual steps. First, you place the dog in a “sit” in front of the light, and give the command “look” as you point towards the switch. Next comes the command “light,” which has various steps, including luring the dog to the switch with your finger, getting them to touch their nose to it, and then flipping the light switch on. Consistency is key. If, in the beginning stages, you reward the wrong thing, or miss an opportunity to reward, you create confusion.
With Navi, the beginning was easy. She followed the treat to the light, and put her nose on it over and over again, each time to get the treat. As the treats started to go away and more was required from her, her motivation went away, along with her judgment.
Without the resulting treat, she saw no need to attempt that behavior, so her creativity and problem solving kicked in and she did a ‘down’ and looked up for the treat. When no treat came, she would wait me out, thinking she was smarter and more patient.
Gabe would follow the same steps in the beginning, but when it came to the last step, he wanted the treat, but was even more eager to receive praise and make me happy. He went out of his way to perform every task he already knew: “sit,” “down,” “turn,” “roll,” and so on. Not getting a treat would make Gabe try anything to please.
When this point was reached, a simple positive correction, “nope,” was given to stop the wrong behavior. Dogs, as well as children, can sense when they are in charge of a situation. You can’t make it personal, but at the same time, you can’t lose.
The next step was to reattempt the task. Again, patience and calm were critical, and at times very difficult. This process was repeated until I achieved the desired outcome; in this case, the actual effort to flip the switch, even if it was unsuccessful. Always ending on a positive note was key for the dog to learn and be enthusiastic about trying again next time the switch was presented.
Find Your Child’s Motivation
The same idea applies to children. Each child is different and has their own motivation and agenda, so each child ultimately requires different techniques to get the appropriate response. Bad behavior that is punished while good behavior goes unnoticed simply leads to more bad behavior. Simple reward systems such as money for grades, time in front of the television or computer for good behavior, or even a simple “good job” will go a long way in shaping a child to perform properly and advance in life.
In the beginning, my parenting techniques were not very well established. My patience was low, and I rarely rewarded my daughter for doing something right, but harped on her for doing something wrong. If I wanted something done, I expected it right away, not in 10 minutes. If I told her not to do something, she had better not – or else.
To be fair, a lot of my parenting was related to my experience with my own parents. I have no problem with how I was raised, but I believe there is always a better way to do things. I know, for example, that my parents’ reactions caused me to rebel a lot more than most kids, and I feared the same for my daughter. What I desire for her, more than anything, is that she grow up to be a respectable, high-functioning member of society.
A Better Parent
Working with dogs has slowly but surely molded my behavior into a more efficient way of parenting. I am more patient. I shape my responses, and what I notice. I push through difficult learning experiences, like teaching my daughter letters and numbers, and how to read and write.
The ability to tolerate her pace and reward her for her attempts has been key, and she has made vast improvements as I have employed these new techniques. Working with the dogs has given me a common connection to be able to teach my daughter, and the dogs have trained me just as much – if not more – than I have trained them.
I still have a lot of work and progress ahead, but the foundation is there, and continues to grow. I still don’t have it all figured out, but it has brought out a new person in me, as well as in her. She has her boundaries, knows what is expected of her, and loves the rewards she receives for doing it right.
Sgt. Gordon is a former Warrior Trainer at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. In 2013, Sgt. Gordon was the recipient of service dog Birdie at Warrior Canine Connection’s first graduation.