My guest, Dr. Jennifer Smith, has been in the education field for 46 years and is a business owner specializing in trauma-informed behavior. Her love of animals (dogs in particular) has been constant in her life. So much so, that she was on her way to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine at The Ohio State, until she changed her mind. When Jennifer discovered how dogs can change human behavior and humans can change dog behavior, the desire to study human behavior prevailed over the desire to study dog behavior. She noticed that interactions between dogs and humans could be silent but very powerful. She wanted to get to the root of this soulful connection between the two.

Jennifer has a masters in psychology and special education teaching. She pursued her doctorate in psychology, specializing in self-injurious behaviors and functional assessments. Delving into this field at the Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis in California opened Jennifer’s world to figuring out the reasons why certain individuals with a limited skillset in certain environments exhibit particular behaviors. This newly acquired knowledge helped Jennifer bridge the two passions in her life - human and dog behavior.

Jennifer managed a way to use her degrees in education while following her passion for dogs. Working with dogs with challenging behaviors and working with people with disabilities is very much aligned, according to Jennifer. The procedures and interventions are the same. The functional assessment process is the same. This helps with understanding the reasons behind the behaviors manifesting in both humans and dogs so that the interventions can be therapeutic.

I find in working with my clients that trying to identify the root of the behavior helps assist in developing a rehabilitation plan. If you only try to treat the symptoms, you will only end up putting a bandaid on the problem. It will only rear its ugly head again and again down the road.

Whenever I help a client and their dog in the Cleveland area, and the client’s profession is in the special education field, they invariably know Dr. Jennifer Smith. She was the head of the behavior and curriculum department at the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities until she retired almost 12 years ago. These clients were either trained by her or participated in a seminar where Jennifer lectured. All of these clients understand my approach and how I assess their dogs. They get it. There is a certain way to communicate across the species which is similar to communicating with individuals with limited language skills.

I will often compare dog behavior to human behavior for the sole purpose of trying to make my assessment of a client’s dog more relatable. I do not have a degree in Animal Behavior. However, there are patterns and common reactions to stimuli in dogs that are very similar to those in humans. I was a little unsure about making these comparisons so as not to imply that humans are like dogs or vice versa, because I didn’t want to offend people. Also, I had no scientific research to back up my comparisons. I find myself often telling my clients “Think about what the dog is feeling and interpreting right now”. Hence, my choice for the title of this podcast, “From A Dog’s Eye View.” After talking to Jennifer, I feel validated in the explanation of my approach to assessing any given dog.

Jennifer combined her expertise in functional assessments of individuals for Cuyahoga County with training and rehabilitating dogs through her connection with It’s A Dog’s Life. Since I have known Jennifer, she was always rehabbing dogs and blending them into her own pack of dogs. As she was performing in-home assessments with families of children with disabilities, she was also doing in-home family visits with dogs that had various issues. Wherever the behavior presented itself was where Jennifer would be. If it meant going to a grocery store, that’s where she would set up her meeting.

Not only is it necessary to observe the person or dog closely, but you also have to know what you are looking at. Observing something as simple as prolonged eye contact that causes a reaction, or as complex as the frantic or intentional movement of an individual or dog, can help identify the root of a particular behavior.

‘“We don't know what it's like to hear, see or especially smell at the levels that dogs can.” - Dr. Jennifer Smith

To elaborate on this subject of observing and working with dogs who are triggered by something in a particular environment, I will work with a dog wherever the behavior is happening. Dogs do not generalize. What that means is that if your dog barks at strangers at their own front door, it doesn’t mean that they will bark at strangers at your friend’s front door. I need to see the dog in their own environment and how he reacts to certain triggers. It is equally important to observe how the pet parent reacts and what their body language is like while the dog is in the middle of the reactivity. It takes teamwork to rehab a dog, and guiding the pet parent to handle the dog appropriately is crucial to the entire rehab process.

The difficulty with the rehabilitation process is always when you return a dog to his pet parents. It is up to the pet parents to understand and change their own behavior because we, as the adults, are the agent of change. It's the same in schools. If you want your kindergartner's behavior of throwing books at other kids to change, they aren’t going to magically wake up one morning and make today the day that they won’t throw books anymore. Adults have to guide the child to an alternate behavior that is more appropriate in order for the child to change. I always love to hear from my clients, “You’re training us humans, not the dogs.” That’s exactly right!

You must change things up because whatever you were doing wasn’t working. This is a lot easier said than done. According to Jennifer, on any given day, our frustration level is higher than on other days. Our reactivity to issues can be more intense. We’re rarely on the same emotional level. This inconsistency can be very confusing and create an unstable environment for the dog. The dog can’t figure out all of these changes. We become unpredictable, and in their eyes, unsafe. I advise clients that life happens, and you just have to try your best to push your life issues aside while you are in communication with your dog.

“A lot of individuals who have reactive dogs that are fear-based, have trouble because they themselves aren't being perceived as safe.” - Dr. Jennifer Smith

Jennifer has had a wide variety of breeds as family dogs. From German Shepherds and French Briards to Shih Tzus and Chihuahuas. However, Jennifer’s dream as a little girl was to have a poodle. She came to know that poodles were a complex breed that would require more time and effort to do the breed justice. She knew the common traits of the various breeds she rehabbed in her home, but she needed to learn more about the poodle. She felt that she needed a higher skillset and needed to mature in her approaches to working with this sensitive and very intelligent breed.

The wait was worth it and it happened at the right time in her life. That time came several years ago when she had the opportunity to meet her longtime idol, and now mentor, Joseph Vergnetti of Dassin Farms, who is a highly respected breeder in the poodle world. Joseph had heard that Jennifer did temperament training and testing. He said he had a poodle for her. This particular poodle was not ready yet for the show ring because she had some quirks to be ironed out. When Joseph showed Jennifer this beautiful, quirky black poodle, Jennifer was weak in the knees. She named this poodle Scarlet. At last, her dreams came true!

Jennifer exposed Scarlet to many different places and people to build Scarlet’s self confidence. Jennifer believes that upon conception, the temperament of the dog is set. Then, you add personality on top of that. This is where the pet parent plays a big part. It’s how we, humans react to what dogs are reacting to that can shape a dog into becoming a fearful, cautious dog or a confident, polite dog. Scarlet has a very reactive bark and Jennifer just has to be very aware of the environment they are in at the moment and be Scarlet’s best advocate. When Scarlet’s frustration is high, her skillset is low. Always being aware of this helps maintain a balanced approach to any given situation so as not to overwhelm her.

Instead of continuing to show Scarlet, Jennifer decided to breed her with a sire from Joseph’s line of poodles. In fact, Scarlet was pregnant when Jennifer showed her for the last time. Joseph picked the perfect sire for a dog with Scarlet’s temperament. She had a litter of nine puppies, but two of them died. Scarlet was amazing and knew what to do, but Jennifer and her husband were a nervous wreck. They had experts on stand-by to help out if anything went wrong. In the long run, Jennifer and Tom just watched this beautiful miracle take place as Scarlet did what came naturally. There is a definite sense of pride when whelping a litter and contributing positively to their impressionable first couple of months. On top of that, what an honor and privilege knowing that you had a part in this process, especially when one of the puppies becomes a winner in dog shows. There is such a sense of pride after studying the poodle line, taking care of them, and socializing them properly.

It is a lot of work raising puppies and socializing them and then ultimately finding good homes for them. Jennifer and Tom couldn’t just let them all go, They had to keep one and named her Chapel. She is now two years old and is currently living and working with a professional handler. The hard work is so worth it when they hear back from the families who adopted Scarlet’s puppies, that everyone loves them so much. That’s why they do it!

Everyone thinks that poodles have a French connection. They do in that they are France’s national dog. However, history states that they originated in Germany and were used as waterfowl retrievers. They were used as hunting dogs who had to endure retrieving birds in very cold water. Therefore, poodles can have a very high prey drive. This hunting skill is actually making a comeback. Poodles are being used more often today as gun dogs by hunters.

Poodles are excellent retrievers and swimmers, and are very athletic. Their body awareness is phenomenal. They are very quick and agile. They can leap up and twist their body in the air and still stick the landing. The prey drive in Scarlet for live animals is more prominent than in Jennifer’s other poodles. However, unlike her dachshunds who are so hard wired to hunt, Jennifer is able to recall her poodles with a higher success rate while they are in the process of retrieving. If her long haired dachshunds pick up a scent, there is no chance of recalling them. They are that focused.

The breeders of poodles that Jennifer is familiar with have bred out any health issues, so there really aren’t many health concerns. There is some risk of bloat, which is when the stomach flips and cuts off circulation to the rest of the organs. There really is no rhyme or reason for this condition, but there is an operation to prevent the stomach from flipping. Please refer to my previous interview with Dr. Randy Hutchison from Animal Clinic Northview about this very important subject.

The poodle is unique and has certain traits that are hardwired in them. When conducting intelligence tests on poodles, they always score high in the following pillars of intelligence:

* memory

* cunning

* reasoning

* communication

* empathetic

Their memory is off the charts and it has been Jennifer’s experience that their memory is phenomenal, not because they're worried and need to know, but because they want to know. They want to use that to either work with you or work for their benefit. They are a softer breed and because they do have a memory, they will carry a grudge. Most dogs can remember things but pretty much every moment is a blank slate for them. With a poodle, depending on where that memory is going to sit with them, they can hold a grudge.

Jennifer is constantly amazed at how they can reason things out, sit back, and make a choice about certain things. When dealing with Scarlet, she is going to do what is best for her. However, Jennifer’s male poodle, Blue, will reason out what is going to keep the relationship with Jennifer going in a positive fashion. Her third poodle, Chapel, is very energetic, and exhibits her cunning skills by going into another room, turning the lights on and off and waiting for Jennifer and her husband to move in there with her. All while doing this with a smile!

Another pillar of intelligence that the poodle scores high on is their ability to communicate by facial recognition and the patterns of a human’s face. This trait is unique to the species. They are one of the only species that can watch the changes in people's faces, pay attention to that, and then interpret it. Jennifer has observed what makes the poodle stand out from the other breeds is that they want to listen to you as they study changes in your facial features, but they also want to be listened to. They care that you are listening to them not because they are demanding your attention, but they do so in a manner that they have important things to say. They want to engage you in playing a reasoning or cunning game and make a definite contribution to it. Jennifer finds this to be very unique with this breed. Even if the communication between Jennifer and her poodles is silent, they are still communicating with each other as they observe any change in your body language or positioning.

The last pillar of intelligence in assessing a dog is empathy. In order to be empathetic, it is necessary to understand yourself and your own journeys. You can then understand someone else’s and how they came to be a certain way. Poodles always score perfectly in empathy tests. They are not off the charts high as if they are overly concerned and they can't function unless they know you're in a good place. They score high because they care about you. They also have a great sense of themselves.

“Poodles want to listen and be listened to. They want to be cared for but they also care about you. They are interesting, but they also want to be interested.” - Jennifer Smith

You can do a test with blinking to see how empathetic your dog is. Have someone mark down how many times you blink. Sit in a silent room for five minutes with your dog. Just sit, don't make eye contact with the dog and blink when you blink naturally. Poodles will mimic your blinking.

One of the most popular breeds today is the doodle. The most common are Labradoodles and Golden Doodles. The wonderfully social family dog that Labradors and Golden Retrievers are was the reason why breeders wanted to combine that happy go lucky temperament with an intelligent poodle. Hardly anyone really knows about the poodle breed. What everyone says is that their coat doesn’t shed and that they are very intelligent. As you now know, there is so much more to this incredible breed called the poodle!

I sometimes think that I am learning about a new doodle every week. There are so many breeds that are mixed with the poodle. Doodles are very attractive to prospective pet parents because they have the intelligence of the poodle and they supposedly don’t shed. These are the two traits that the majority of my clients find appealing. Inevitably, there will be multiple doodles in an obedience class of 6 dogs. I love the trainability of these dogs because they are usually very intelligent, but then I have to learn what else the poodle was bred with when I see traits that aren’t so common.

Some pet parents may meet the mother and father that were mated to produce a litter of doodles, and some may not. However, as Jennifer comments about the doodles, the sourcing of the two different breeds can be suspect. There may be a reactive gene that goes back several generations in either the poodle line or whatever the dog is mixed with, and it appears in one of the offspring. This can happen to any breed, but when you are mixing two different breeds, the chances that certain traits are not bred out are greater than if it is a singular breed.

People expect that they may see traits of various dogs in the rescue dog they adopt from a shelter. Doodles are almost viewed nowadays like a purebred instead of the mixed breed that they are. Breeders of doodles are demanding the same dollar amount as a purebred. Jennifer advises to be aware of reputable breeders and those who are out to make a quick buck. She knows what is involved in maintaining a prestigious line of dogs. Negative traits should be disclosed and then bred out.

I will never forget a woman who thought she was getting a purebred Bernese Mountain dog. The breeder told her as much. There happened to be another Bernese Mountain Dog puppy in the same class. They had the same tri-coloring but the one clearly was not a purebred. Also, the temperament of that puppy was not calm and happy go lucky. In my opinion, that puppy was mixed with something and sold as a purebred. The problem is with this scenario, which I have sadly seen played out many times, is that the pet parent has already bonded with the puppy and they don’t want to re-home him, but the puppy is a terror and has obvious issues. This makes it very difficult to live with this puppy as he matures. Now the family is faced with a real dilemma: to keep or re-home the puppy.

There was also a very nice family who knew that they were getting a bernedoodle. They had intentions of training him to be an emotional support dog for their son. The puppy was absolutely adorable looking, However, he chewed through and destroyed their family couch and chairs. It was very difficult to get and keep the dog’s attention. They did everything that I asked them to do as far as establishing structure in his daily life by setting boundaries, giving him plenty of exercise from a leadership role, and disciplining appropriately. As the puppy grew, he started to bite everyone in the family. I had to refer this case out to another trainer who was experienced in aggression. That trainer tried everything and the puppy was getting better. Then, after he matured, he attacked the son who was hoping to have him as an emotional support dog. It was so bad that they had to get rid of the dog. I think he went to live on a farm…….

After having written about two cases where the doodle mix did not go well, I have to counter those stories by stating that I have met an extraordinary amount of wonderful doodles who have made great family pets. Some have done amazing jobs at therapy work and others have been the dog that everyone always wanted.

My goal in doing this particular episode about poodles is twofold. One is to make pet parents aware of the poodle breed and how their impeccable breeding preserves unique traits that make it so special. Secondly, to help people understand better why their doodle might be doing certain behaviors. Is the behavior due to the poodle breed or the other breed it was mixed with? After talking to Jennifer, I think about some of my client’s doodles whose traits are definitely more poodle than whatever they are mixed with. Purebred poodles are not for first-time owners. They demand a lot of care, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Jennifer has described the poodle with enthusiasm for the breed. They truly are a magnificent dog!

As Jennifer contemplates retirement this year, she has plenty to keep busy with her own pack of dogs. Just taking care of her 3 standard poodles and one miniature poodle is enough for one person. Jennifer trains and grooms them to show standards, but overall, they are her family pets that are loved dearly. On top of that, she and her husband Tom have 3 long haired dachshunds and Tom is involved in the show and breeding arena. At any given time, they will also have no more than 2 dogs that Jennifer will train or rehab, who will be integrated in to their daily home lives. I don’t think she will lack for things to do!

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