Start Button Behaviors Ep173

ep173-start-button-behaviors

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[00:00:00] chrissy neumyer smith: This week we're talking about start button behaviors. We're getting a little bit techie this week. It's been a while since we've delved into a little bit more of the tech. What are start button behaviors? How can they be helpful? And groomers, I want you to know there are some limitations, but there are some ways we can work around it.

[00:00:16] And trainers, I want you to know why groomers have trouble with start button behaviors because they are not really well suited for the grooming environment. So we're gonna talk about all that this week. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. I'm Christine Meyer Smith. I'm a master groomer behavior specialist, a certified behavior consultant for Canines, a certified professional dog trainer, a certified professional groomer and instructor at Whole Pet Grooming Academy.

[00:00:43] And I'm the owner of Happy Critters in Nashua, New Hampshire. And this my friends and colleagues is the podcast grooming and training Meet.

[00:00:57] I wanna talk about start button behaviors. Like I said, this one's getting a little techy. Little geeky as groomers who might not know what those are. So let's start at the very beginning. A start button behavior is when a dog performs an action to indicate that you can do whatever it is you need to do.

[00:01:13] It's a way for a dog to say, I am ready. And I am willing. So it, it's something that we're gonna teach a dog to do so that they can tell us, you may now proceed. Now, the trick of it is, is that if the dog stops doing that thing, it says, I need more time. I need a little bit of space. So. What are some examples?

[00:01:33] I think that'll make it easier. We're gonna use some of the more common dog training examples of start button behaviors, and these came from working in vet hospitals. These came from trying to do veterinary procedures on animals, and they are very, very handy. They are very effective. However, we will also talk about it through the grooming lens because these are.

[00:01:53] Difficult for groomers to implement and use, but one of those start button behaviors is a chin rest. Now, that's when you put out your hand or put out something and the dog places their chin on it. The indication that I am ready for you to do whatever you wanna do. Maybe that's an injection, maybe that's trimming a nail, but they put their head, their chin on something, place their chin on something.

[00:02:18] If the head pops up, it means I'm not ready. That one's a chin rest. Chin targeting. There's also nose targeting and that is when the dog touches their nose to something to indicate that, okay, my nose is here. I'm saying it's okay for you to do the thing you want to do. The thing you wish to do to me is now okay to do now again.

[00:02:40] The way that you, they're indicating that I am ready when they pull their nose away from that thing, that means I am not ready. Okay. This is really common training methods for stuff that happens in, in homes for stuff that happens with cooperative care in, in the veterinary setting, cooperative care being, teaching animals to cooperate with us for their own care.

[00:03:04] The grooming world calls that holistic grooming pretty often, but I really like the dog training term for cooperative care instead because that really does speak more to what we're looking for. So anyway. We have chin targeting, we have nose targeting. And like I said, that's when their animal is placing a body part in a particular position to say, yes, you may continue.

[00:03:25] Yes, you may do the thing I'm at that you wanna do. And then if they're not ready or if they become nervous even during the middle of an injection or something like that, if they move away from that target, if they move that body part that says, I'm not ready now, this is a really handy tool. I am gonna tell you that there are times when this would be the ideal tool for something that is really short term.

[00:03:52] This could be really, really helpful, and it tells the dog that I'm listening, and it makes it very obvious when they're ready and when they're not ready. Here is the downside. And groomers are already knowing what the downside is. But keep in mind, my groomer friends, not everyone's a groomer, non groomers don't understand this.

[00:04:13] What do we need to do to know if this dog is not ready or ready? We need to have eyes on that body part and that target there needs to be somebody watching. Now trainers are like, well, that's easy, you know, and, and normally it would be. But from the grooming perspective, I want you to think we are, let's say I'm grinding nails on the back foot.

[00:04:44] There is no way for me to grind nails on the back foot and watch a dog's head motion. These two things cannot happen at the same time. That's why a lot of groomers have trouble with using techniques like this. It does require a second human being to watch for motion. Or it requires us to not actually be trimming nails.

[00:05:13] Now we're gonna get more into that in the next part because there are ways to use these and then build up toward what would be an actual nail trim with one person, right? Um, but I want you to know that for many, many groomers, we are very limited because we do not have another person. There is no one else watching to see if that dog moves their chin.

[00:05:35] There is no one else watching to see if that dog moves their nose. And so trainers, while we are teaching owners how to do this, or while we're working on it for veterinary procedures, we're not used to thinking about the solo person doing this on their own. So I want you to think about that. Let's ponder that for a minute.

[00:05:56] If you as a trainer are working alone. And you are unable to see that start button behavior that chin rest or that nose target. In this example, there are more start button behaviors, but if you're unable to see that, what does that do for the dog? Right. Let's think about that for a minute. If we are telling a dog, you can trust me.

[00:06:19] I will only continue when you indicate by touching this thing with this body part. Maybe it's touched this, um, target with your nose or rest your chin on a hand. We're only going to follow through if you are touching that thing. But then we get working on another side and nobody's watching and they move their head and nobody's there to know.

[00:06:42] And we keep continuing. And then we end up with a dog who is becoming really frustrated. It taught me that this is my, I'm ready or not ready, and then nobody's gonna watch to see if I'm not ready. So it backfires if we don't have someone watching. So that's a visual cue that the dog is giving us. Now I want us to think instead, how would this be helpful for us to have a start button behavior that we do not have to watch for?

[00:07:14] That we do not have to physically observe with our eyes and the start button behavior that I like to use, instead of watching what a dog is doing, I'm feeling with my hand. So what I'm looking for as a start button behavior is, can I open my palm? And have this dog remain in that position that I guided them into.

[00:07:39] Can I open my palm? Do I actually need to hold this dog here, or can I open my palm? Opening my palm and having their body still be loose is a clear indication that they are choosing to stay in my hand, that they're choosing to cooperate with this calm, comfortable, and cooperative. Right, but now it's something I can feel in my hand.

[00:08:01] So if I'm holding a tail, I can tell if that dog is just letting me guide their tail or if I'm actually having to hold their tail. Groomers. I know this one's tough 'cause we, we think we have to hold on and grab hold of everything and we usually do not. I want you to think about if we are just guiding them and positioning them, moving them around, putting them into position.

[00:08:25] We shouldn't have to hold on tight. If you have to hold on tight, let let go of your hand. Just, just open it up and see if that animal is actually gonna choose to stay there. Because many of them do. A lot of dogs fight against us holding tight. So this tactile cue. It is something I can feel in my hand. I can feel if there is resistance or if this dog is loose and choosing to stay in my hand.

[00:08:53] I can do that when I'm working on a tail. I can do that while I'm grinding back nails. I can do that while I'm holding an ear. I can do that while I am doing. Grooming procedures, normal day to day stuff, and it becomes a habit. It's the way that I usually groom. So I want you to think about that is also a start button behavior.

[00:09:16] So trainers, non-G groomers for the non groomers out there. If we have a start button behavior that can be effectively used by one individual person, one person working by themselves, that's a really effective. Start button behavior. Now, if the dog wiggles, that tells me I am not ready. If the dog tries to, you know, move away when I open my hand, that tells me they're not ready.

[00:09:44] And so therefore, I can change what I need to do to help them be ready and I can feel it. I can feel it in my hand. It's a tactile cue. I can feel it in my hand. I can use this every day. Yet I still find a lot of people are trying to push this like nose targeting and chin targeting. And there are some other concerns with nose targeting and chin targeting in the grooming setting also.

[00:10:12] So in the next part we're gonna talk more about that. If you're enjoying the podcast, please remember to subscribe or follow. Tell all of your friends and if you go to creating great grooming dogs.com. I've also added a button for buy me a coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please support the show.

[00:10:30] So the other concern with things like nose targeting and chin targeting, and there's another one called the bucket game where the dog stares at the bucket and you take food out of the bucket. So they're staring at treats and eagerly waiting for treats. It's a really good game, okay? However, it also requires someone to be watching.

[00:10:51] And that is just not something that most groomers are able to do in their grooming setting. So groomers, if a dog is working on this, if owners are working on this, it's a simple matter of telling them, I am going to need to have two people while I groom your dog. And here is your additional cost. Book it.

[00:11:14] If you work alone, perhaps it's an owner who's gonna be helping you with that. That's okay. We can talk about that. Because they're actively working with their dog Hurrah, right? So I want you to think if that's something that they're working on, we can accommodate that. Just know that we will need another set of eyes.

[00:11:33] And we also need to know what the signal is for ready and not ready. That's what start button behaviors are for Now, here are some concerns I have for things like chin targeting and nose targeting. So again, this is for the non groomers who might not understand this part. My dogs know a chin target. I love teaching things like chin targeting and nose targeting.

[00:11:55] But if I am scissoring around a face, I do not want a dog to enthusiastically push their chin or their nose into my hand. Do you see how that could become very dangerous? That could become very risky? And I think that some dogs are being taught to do chin targeting and nose targeting with such enthusiasm.

[00:12:17] And most of the time in dog training, yeah, we want an enthusiastic dog. Woo-hoo. But overly silly is just as risky as aggressive because we are often trimming like a millimeter away from the skin. Think about that. We have sharp objects next to eyeballs. We have sharp objects next to lips, next to noses, next to ears.

[00:12:40] And if a dog is enthusiastically smashing their nose or their chin into you, because owners thought this was wonderful because owners sometimes go a little overboard, we need to keep that safety concern in mind. So my own dogs, no chin targeting and nose targeting, and I have proofed it. Meaning I have made sure that they only do it when I ask, so that if I have a hand underneath their chin, I can move around their whole face.

[00:13:08] If I have fingers in front of their nose, I can move around their whole face. I have to have the hand under their chin and also say, chin. I have to put the fingers in front of their nose and also say, touch or hear, or whatever I'm going to use if I do not. Then I do not expect them to be trying to push their head into my hand.

[00:13:32] Now, groomers were like, oh, oh wait. We can have, we can still have those tools, but not have them get in our way. All right, see, so groomers, I'm thinking about you. I am. These are still useful tools, but we need to proof them so that the dog only does it when asked. Okay, so I want a dog to be able to hold a chin target.

[00:13:53] That can be really handy. I've used it during grooming. I've used it during the vet's office. I've used it when I've had to do something on a face. You know, maybe it's just a matter of can you gimme your chin, put my hand out, and I can really scrub it, whatever it was they rolled in. But I want you to think about the safety aspect of having dogs enthusiastically smash their chins and noses into people.

[00:14:16] Is not real helpful for grooming. So groomers tend to get really frustrated when we hear things like chin targeting and nose targeting and start button behaviors because many groomers don't see its purpose and only see the risks. The purpose is that we can have a, a dog choose to hold still for us longer than they might have before.

[00:14:39] How cool is that, that they're choosing to now again. My version is a tactile cue. I can make sure that this dog is allowing me to hold them. I can hold my hand on their head and help them understand that, like, okay, I just need you to be here and guide them into a position. And if they let me guide them and I open my palm and they're still there, that is a start button behavior.

[00:15:08] I'm ready. I'm willing. You're not forcing me. Okay. And that's something that we can use. So trainers, non groomers, if you are working on things like nose targeting and chin targeting, awesome. But I want you to think about fading it out, fading it out, so that that's not the only way that a dog can indicate that they're not ready or ready, fade it out.

[00:15:34] So work on stuff without asking for the nose target or the chin target, and that's really going to be helpful for your groomer. Many, many, many groomers out there do not wanna work on behavior. That's a whole different profession. Now, I want groomers to know more about behavior. I want groomers to like go ahead and learn about behavior, and I'd like them to become trainers too.

[00:15:56] That's awesome. But many, many do not want to. They just wanna do their job. So if you are helping a dog be prepared for the grooming process, you need to get them past this need for nose targeting, chin targeting. Bucket games. Okay. And get them past that point. Get them to a point where will you let me do it without nose targeting or chin targeting.

[00:16:21] And see if they're ready for it. See if they're comfortable with it before they go to a groomer. And if you do find a groomer who's willing to play along, keep in mind they will need a second person. Two people is double the cost. Groomers. Do not give that away for free. Okay? Two people Working on a dog for half an hour is an hour of your shop time.

[00:16:43] Keep that in mind and charge accordingly, or you're gonna feel really frustrated every time a dog comes in that's still in the process of training. Don't lose money while they're in a process of training. We wanna encourage our owners to train. We wanna encourage our trainers to come up with solutions for us.

[00:17:00] We just need to know that sometimes they are not the finished product. Sometimes that dog is not quite ready to be groomed in a normal way. And that's okay. We need to work on stuff. So start button behaviors are part of teaching consent to letting a dog tell us when they're ready and when they're not ready.

[00:17:24] And we have to be watching for it or feeling for it, and respond if they're not ready. And that's part of why they're really effective. 'cause the dog knows, wait, if, if I do this action, they're gonna gimme a break, they're gonna back off and help me be ready. So we talked last week. I, I mentioned calm, comfortable, and cooperative and how we're gonna use it in our little memory game.

[00:17:48] And how do we use it? We groom 'em smart. We start with calm, comfortable, and cooperative, maintain the three C's Act, the three C's. If they get worried, we return to the three C's and we teach the three C's. And I'm gonna keep pushing that on you because, because I used it in the memory example. So the three C's, calm, comfortable, and cooperative.

[00:18:12] This is one of the ways that we can use that. So targeting not a bad idea, start button behaviors, not a bad idea. We just need to think about the context that we're doing them in. So if dog grooming were a dog sport, we would have more groomers talking about what we need. If we were teaching agility, we would have to know that there's a particular way to go in through the weave poles that we need to be planning for.

[00:18:41] We can't just go through the weave poles any which way willy-nilly. There's one particular way and you need to plan ahead for it. So trainers and non groomers in the sport of grooming. If dog grooming were a dog sport, we will need a dog. That does not require two people. We will need a dog who can just be handled for grooming without any extra eyes watching what their face is doing.

[00:19:06] And that's gonna be really important to get groomers on board with training to get trainers better preparing dogs for the grooming process. Okay, we don't have a second set of eyes in many, many situations. Mobile groomers often working alone. House call groomers, often working alone. Um, owners. Can be helpful, but owners are, are kind of a mixed bag if they can be helpful or not.

[00:19:34] Um, especially when a groomer is trying to get something done and you know, just think about that, that a lot of places won't allow an owner to come in and help. That's a safety precaution. A lot of places will not allow owners on the grooming floor because owners do crazy things. Sorry owners if you're listening, but it's really tempting to pet that dog on another table that's not your dog, and that dog could hurt you.

[00:19:59] So a lot of places won't allow you in. So we need to be thinking about solutions that are going to work for a real world example of dog grooming, which is a solitary groomer who's looking at your dog's body and looking at the haircut. We're looking all over. We're looking at everything but what they're looking at.

[00:20:22] Even when we're doing their head, we're just looking at symmetry, we're looking at their hair. We're very rarely looking what their eyes are looking at. So the realistic expectation should be that the dog is just choosing to stay with us, and that's why a tactile cue. Just, is this dog relaxed in my hand?

[00:20:42] Is this dog calm, comfortable, and cooperative in my hand? Can I open my palm and close it again? Is this dog staying with me or is this dog pulling against me? Perfectly reasonable thing for groomers to work with, and we work with it all day every day. So be thinking about these start button behaviors, and again, a little bit techie this week, but be thinking about start button.

[00:21:05] Behaviors are really handy and they're useful and they can help a dog get to the point where a groomer can actually not be watching and do the job. Okay? These can be earlier training. This can be really helpful in the beginning to help a dog understand how to proceed, but we need to work beyond it.

[00:21:25] Beyond it. A nose target or a chin target is not the finished product. We need to go beyond that so that the dog can actually handle one solitary single groomer working on their body. If you want more information, you can find me at creating great grooming dogs.com, the Facebook group and the Facebook page for creating great grooming dogs, whole pet nh.com.

[00:21:49] That's the whole Pet Grooming Academy, and I'm happy to hear from you.