Nothing in Life is Free
Undesirable behavior can be caused by many
things, including undetected illness. No behavior modification
program should begin without first taking the dog to a veterinarian
for a complete physical examination. While you're there, give your
vet a printed copy of this page and ask if it would be an
appropriate technique for you to try. The NILIF program is an
accepted standard in dog training/behavior but it is not, and is not
intended to be, a substitute for an in-person, professional
evaluation of your dog's behavior. This technique is intended for
dogs in good health and of sound mind and stable temperament.
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.