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Attentive Cooperation: Using Puppy Politeness Poker for Healthy Relationships
Whether you have a newly adopted dog, a brand new pup, a challenging adolescent dog, or any age dog with behavior problems, Puppy Politeness Poker (PPP) can be helpful. PPP teaches your dog to be attentive and cooperative in return for real life rewards (RLR). Easy, quick interactions throughout the day create positive changes in the dog/human relationship.
What the dog learns through PPP is simple and “You do this for me, I’ll do that for you.”
Effective and humane, Puppy Politeness
•relies on intrinsic motivation
•uses real-life rewards
•develops attentive cooperation
•teaches self-control
•improves communication
•is force-free, no equipment necessary
•is non-confrontational, making it suitable for dogs with aggression or other behavior issues
Started early in life, attentive cooperation becomes the natural response from the dog.
You may discover the value of PPP when your adolescent dog is sliding out of control. PPP is useful for teaching teenage dogs self control, and can help rebalance the relationship in humane, effective, force-free ways.
PPP is ideal for adopted & rescued dogs who haven’t yet learned about kind relationships with people. PPP emphasizes choice for the dog, and offers a way for the dog to feel in control of his life.
Innovative trainer Suzanne Clothier (author of Bones Would Rain from the Sky) is well known for her Relationship Centered Training approach. In ATTENTIVE COOPERATION, her usual humor and thorough understanding of dogs is obvious. She provides practical, sensible and humane advice, while keeping the dog/human relationship central at all times.
What the dog learns through PPP is simple and “You do this for me, I’ll do that for you.”
Effective and humane, Puppy Politeness
•relies on intrinsic motivation
•uses real-life rewards
•develops attentive cooperation
•teaches self-control
•improves communication
•is force-free, no equipment necessary
•is non-confrontational, making it suitable for dogs with aggression or other behavior issues
Started early in life, attentive cooperation becomes the natural response from the dog.
You may discover the value of PPP when your adolescent dog is sliding out of control. PPP is useful for teaching teenage dogs self control, and can help rebalance the relationship in humane, effective, force-free ways.
PPP is ideal for adopted & rescued dogs who haven’t yet learned about kind relationships with people. PPP emphasizes choice for the dog, and offers a way for the dog to feel in control of his life.
Innovative trainer Suzanne Clothier (author of Bones Would Rain from the Sky) is well known for her Relationship Centered Training approach. In ATTENTIVE COOPERATION, her usual humor and thorough understanding of dogs is obvious. She provides practical, sensible and humane advice, while keeping the dog/human relationship central at all times.
- GenresNonfictionDogs
52 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 28, 2016
About the author
Suzanne Clothier
14 books40 followersSuzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977, with a deep background of experience that includes obedience, agility, puppy testing, breeding, Search and Rescue, conformation, instructing, kennel management and canine midwifery. She is well respected for her holistic Relationship Centered Training™ approach to dogs and the people that love them.
Whether the audience is companion dog owners or experienced trainers, Suzanne's broad knowledge, common sense and humor offer exciting, practical information and approaches that will enhance the dog/human relationship.
She has taught in the US, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Japan, Australia and New Zealand for groups as varied as Wolf Park, NADOI, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, FEMA (Northeast Region Disaster Dog Teams), Alaskan Dog Musher Association, Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, AKC Obedience judges, many national specialties, and numerous obedience, agility, breed, rescue, shelter and SAR groups.
Her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs has received wide spread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books. An award winning author of videos, books, booklets and numerous articles, Suzanne has written articles for the AKC Gazette, Dog Fancy, Dogs In Canada, Off Lead, Clean Run, Wolf Clan and breed magazines and newsletters around the world. She served as a committee member for the AKC’s Agility Advisory Board, and as a committee member of the American Humane Association’s Task Force for the Development of Humane Standards in Dog Training.
In 2007, she developed an exciting new temperament assessment tool, CARAT™ (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool). She is also the developer of RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool). Currently, she is involved in a number of research projects involving CARAT and RAT, ranging from guide & service dog schools to the use of CARAT and RAT in Animal Assisted Therapy (in conjunction with Dr. Kirby Wycoff). Together, Suzanne and Dr. Wycoff are developing a new approach to AAT - The Reflected Relationship™.
From 2007-2010, she served as a consultant to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, one of the world's largest guide dog school. Her Relationship Centered Training™ and Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of GEB's puppy raising program. Additionally, Suzanne developed a new puppy testing protocol, an brood stock/IFT (in for training) test. Unpublished data show that CARAT and the Clothier tests to be strongly predictive.
She is currently a consultant for Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, and will be working with a number of service dog organizations utilizing CARAT, RAT, RCT principles/techniques and the Enriched Puppy Protocol.
Beginning Jan 2013, she was invited to serve as an Advisory Board Member for NBCAAM - National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure & Massage.
A German Shepherd breeder, her 8 generations of Hawks Hunt German Shepherds have been successful in obedience, agility, SAR, tracking, herding and therapy work; she is also the co-breeder of a National Specialty BOB Brittany. She lives on a working farm in upstate New York with husband John Rice, and their considerable animal family of dogs, cats, parrots, tortoises, Scottish Highland cattle, horses, donkeys, pigs and more.
Whether the audience is companion dog owners or experienced trainers, Suzanne's broad knowledge, common sense and humor offer exciting, practical information and approaches that will enhance the dog/human relationship.
She has taught in the US, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Japan, Australia and New Zealand for groups as varied as Wolf Park, NADOI, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, FEMA (Northeast Region Disaster Dog Teams), Alaskan Dog Musher Association, Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, AKC Obedience judges, many national specialties, and numerous obedience, agility, breed, rescue, shelter and SAR groups.
Her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs has received wide spread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books. An award winning author of videos, books, booklets and numerous articles, Suzanne has written articles for the AKC Gazette, Dog Fancy, Dogs In Canada, Off Lead, Clean Run, Wolf Clan and breed magazines and newsletters around the world. She served as a committee member for the AKC’s Agility Advisory Board, and as a committee member of the American Humane Association’s Task Force for the Development of Humane Standards in Dog Training.
In 2007, she developed an exciting new temperament assessment tool, CARAT™ (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool). She is also the developer of RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool). Currently, she is involved in a number of research projects involving CARAT and RAT, ranging from guide & service dog schools to the use of CARAT and RAT in Animal Assisted Therapy (in conjunction with Dr. Kirby Wycoff). Together, Suzanne and Dr. Wycoff are developing a new approach to AAT - The Reflected Relationship™.
From 2007-2010, she served as a consultant to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, one of the world's largest guide dog school. Her Relationship Centered Training™ and Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of GEB's puppy raising program. Additionally, Suzanne developed a new puppy testing protocol, an brood stock/IFT (in for training) test. Unpublished data show that CARAT and the Clothier tests to be strongly predictive.
She is currently a consultant for Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, and will be working with a number of service dog organizations utilizing CARAT, RAT, RCT principles/techniques and the Enriched Puppy Protocol.
Beginning Jan 2013, she was invited to serve as an Advisory Board Member for NBCAAM - National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure & Massage.
A German Shepherd breeder, her 8 generations of Hawks Hunt German Shepherds have been successful in obedience, agility, SAR, tracking, herding and therapy work; she is also the co-breeder of a National Specialty BOB Brittany. She lives on a working farm in upstate New York with husband John Rice, and their considerable animal family of dogs, cats, parrots, tortoises, Scottish Highland cattle, horses, donkeys, pigs and more.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 3, 2023
I didn’t learn anything new, but it’s always good to be reminded of old tools in my training toolbox. This would be a great read for new puppy/dog owners who need an idea of where to start.
April 25, 2024
A quick, easy to understand read on a simple training structure that may (or may not... I'll elaborate below) help improve the communication and cooperation between you and your dog.
For anyone familiar with the NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) method, Clothier's PPP (Puppy Politeness Poker) is very similar- with a few key differences as explained by the author in the book, which I both respect and appreciate. I'm neither for nor against NILIF or PPP. I've used, and continue to use it (well technically, Premacking) sparingly with most of my dogs and puppies, however I feel there are more points of consideration on when, where, and how to use (or not use) this method than is discussed in the book (more on that later).
Heres what I liked about this book:
Its short and to the point, and I like how the author makes PPP more or less into a game, with a clear progression of rules/steps. She also makes things fair and safe for the dog, including reassessing and lowering the criteria if the dog is struggling. She even broaches the subject of dogs who are blessed to carry what she coins the "old fart" card (which had me chuckling.. I have similar rule in my house, all dogs over 12 get to do basically whatever they want (within reason)). As I mentioned before, I also appreciated and respect the differentiation between PPP and NILIF.
The issues I take with the book were few, but include what I found to be a slightly condescending tone throughout, whether pointing out the major shortcomings of inexperienced owners (who need guidance, not shaming) or of scheming dogs that make the rules (outdated dominance theory, dogs dont actually think this way). I honestly think she was going for a bit of humor here to take some of the bite out realizing that our own behavior and actions are responsible for our dog's behavior, but it just didn't follow through for me.
The biggest point of contention for me was regarding the applicability of PPP (incidentally also NILIF) to various types of dogs and/or situations. The book does very, very lightly mention that there are times when PPP can be inappropriate, i.e., some dogs are too fearful (shutdown/avoidant). Yet also not mentioned, and much more important in my opinion, is that some are "stressy", easily over aroused with self-regulation issues in which too many rules can cause an increase in undesirable behaviors. This is common in new shelter rescues or dogs coming out of traumatic situations. But also some puppies and adolescent dogs can be this way, and while I dont believe its "normal", it is common enough that I've run across it many times, and currently have an adolescent with this issue. It sounds counter-intuitive, but reducing the amount of requests I make on him (while working on improving his stress tolerance) has resulted in much improved behavior all around. Asking for sits before opening gates was a huge trigger for him, he would sit, but then go into a complete meltdown after the gate opened. Not asking for sits, he is calm enough to walk politely through.
Regarding shelter dogs, Clothier also states that most rescue dogs dont need "down time" before implementing, unless they have serious fear, anxiety, or aggression issuess. However, in my experience, shelter dogs are coming off of *tremendous* stress and benefit greatly from a reprieve of demands (especially with sensitive dogs) while their stress hormones settle. I've personally rescued shelter dogs that did not fit an "extreme" model of anxiety or fear, and yet with one I could not ask for any behaviors at all without him leaving the room and shutting down. Clearly implementation would have been deteimental to our relationship at the time (it took 1.5yrs to get to the point of being able to teach/ask for behaviors on cue). The other dog was sent home with me from the shelter with papers on implementing NILIF. He was a calm, well adjusted dog, but the stress from the shelter was incredibly hard on him. I started NILIF and quit after only a few days when he literally barked in my face and ran out of the room. Again, no aggression or anxiety ossues, this guy was purely on overload and didnt need any more stress. I stopped asking him for anything, and after a week or two he had relaxed beautifully and was happy to begin training with me. This brings me to my next point, that programs like PPP or NILIF can also, in some instances, degrade the relationship with your dog/puppy if its not fun *for them*. They can begin to find your presence punishing, because every time they want something you require them to perform a behavior. For this same reason I also disagree with not rewarding slow responses at all (which can confuse the dog and weaken the behavior. In contrast, I have found that the faster I reinforce a behavior, the faster the dog offers that behavior in the future). Same for using a No Reward Marker ((author suggests "oh dear") not providing the reward is information enough for the dog to know that they didn't get it right) and not using a marker to inform the dog when they do get it right (properly used markers increase clarity and promptness of behaviors). It sounds nit-picky, I know. But its my personal experience with rescue dogs, both with and without behavioral issues and implementing these types of training structures.
On the flip side I wil say that, with the prerequisits of 1) can the dog handle what is being asked of him? And 2) is the dog having fun? If you can answer yes to both, go ahead and implement this method and you will have great results. (Its also great for leash manners btw!). Just remember to not take it too seriously, and always make sure you are nurturing your relationship with your dog, not harming it.
For anyone familiar with the NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) method, Clothier's PPP (Puppy Politeness Poker) is very similar- with a few key differences as explained by the author in the book, which I both respect and appreciate. I'm neither for nor against NILIF or PPP. I've used, and continue to use it (well technically, Premacking) sparingly with most of my dogs and puppies, however I feel there are more points of consideration on when, where, and how to use (or not use) this method than is discussed in the book (more on that later).
Heres what I liked about this book:
Its short and to the point, and I like how the author makes PPP more or less into a game, with a clear progression of rules/steps. She also makes things fair and safe for the dog, including reassessing and lowering the criteria if the dog is struggling. She even broaches the subject of dogs who are blessed to carry what she coins the "old fart" card (which had me chuckling.. I have similar rule in my house, all dogs over 12 get to do basically whatever they want (within reason)). As I mentioned before, I also appreciated and respect the differentiation between PPP and NILIF.
The issues I take with the book were few, but include what I found to be a slightly condescending tone throughout, whether pointing out the major shortcomings of inexperienced owners (who need guidance, not shaming) or of scheming dogs that make the rules (outdated dominance theory, dogs dont actually think this way). I honestly think she was going for a bit of humor here to take some of the bite out realizing that our own behavior and actions are responsible for our dog's behavior, but it just didn't follow through for me.
The biggest point of contention for me was regarding the applicability of PPP (incidentally also NILIF) to various types of dogs and/or situations. The book does very, very lightly mention that there are times when PPP can be inappropriate, i.e., some dogs are too fearful (shutdown/avoidant). Yet also not mentioned, and much more important in my opinion, is that some are "stressy", easily over aroused with self-regulation issues in which too many rules can cause an increase in undesirable behaviors. This is common in new shelter rescues or dogs coming out of traumatic situations. But also some puppies and adolescent dogs can be this way, and while I dont believe its "normal", it is common enough that I've run across it many times, and currently have an adolescent with this issue. It sounds counter-intuitive, but reducing the amount of requests I make on him (while working on improving his stress tolerance) has resulted in much improved behavior all around. Asking for sits before opening gates was a huge trigger for him, he would sit, but then go into a complete meltdown after the gate opened. Not asking for sits, he is calm enough to walk politely through.
Regarding shelter dogs, Clothier also states that most rescue dogs dont need "down time" before implementing, unless they have serious fear, anxiety, or aggression issuess. However, in my experience, shelter dogs are coming off of *tremendous* stress and benefit greatly from a reprieve of demands (especially with sensitive dogs) while their stress hormones settle. I've personally rescued shelter dogs that did not fit an "extreme" model of anxiety or fear, and yet with one I could not ask for any behaviors at all without him leaving the room and shutting down. Clearly implementation would have been deteimental to our relationship at the time (it took 1.5yrs to get to the point of being able to teach/ask for behaviors on cue). The other dog was sent home with me from the shelter with papers on implementing NILIF. He was a calm, well adjusted dog, but the stress from the shelter was incredibly hard on him. I started NILIF and quit after only a few days when he literally barked in my face and ran out of the room. Again, no aggression or anxiety ossues, this guy was purely on overload and didnt need any more stress. I stopped asking him for anything, and after a week or two he had relaxed beautifully and was happy to begin training with me. This brings me to my next point, that programs like PPP or NILIF can also, in some instances, degrade the relationship with your dog/puppy if its not fun *for them*. They can begin to find your presence punishing, because every time they want something you require them to perform a behavior. For this same reason I also disagree with not rewarding slow responses at all (which can confuse the dog and weaken the behavior. In contrast, I have found that the faster I reinforce a behavior, the faster the dog offers that behavior in the future). Same for using a No Reward Marker ((author suggests "oh dear") not providing the reward is information enough for the dog to know that they didn't get it right) and not using a marker to inform the dog when they do get it right (properly used markers increase clarity and promptness of behaviors). It sounds nit-picky, I know. But its my personal experience with rescue dogs, both with and without behavioral issues and implementing these types of training structures.
On the flip side I wil say that, with the prerequisits of 1) can the dog handle what is being asked of him? And 2) is the dog having fun? If you can answer yes to both, go ahead and implement this method and you will have great results. (Its also great for leash manners btw!). Just remember to not take it too seriously, and always make sure you are nurturing your relationship with your dog, not harming it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews