Going Back to School is for the Dogs

By Nancy Frensley, CPDT-KA, CAP2, CGC Evaluator, and AKC Scent Work JudgeBerkeley Humane’s Manager of Behavior and Training

This is the time of year when families all across the Bay Area embrace going back to school, and it’s a good time to remember your canine companions as well. Berkeley Humane’s professional trainers would like to remind the Bay Area community that your four-legged friends, young and old, can equally benefit from going back to school! Puppies ready to start training school for the first time or senior dogs looking to learn new tricks – we have engaging canine courses designed to fit you and your pet.

That’s why Berkeley Humane is so excited to announce our new Train the Bay website at: www.trainthebay.org.

Train the Bay is the pet behavior and training program of Berkeley Humane. It offers appropriate socialization and training, which helps you and your dog understand how to behave in each situation you encounter.

Benefits of Continued Training

Keeping dogs in school has several benefits. It can help resolve behavior challenges as well as educate you about dog behavior. It will also help steer you toward your goals. Training provides both mental and physical exercise for your dog. 

Training is all about you and your dog moving together as a team. It is a time to bond and engage with one another, making your dog part of your team.

Going to school with your dog has many social benefits, too. Some students even pair up with compatible classmates for play or training sessions outside of class.

Times Have Changed

We no longer look upon training as simply teaching a dog to produce a behavior on cue. We now do it in a way that creates enjoyable and productive interactions between humans and canines. Train the Bay is based on scientifically-proven positive reinforcement — using food, toys, and fun.

What’s Best for Your Dog?

For the dog that is already trained for everyday activities, we recommend enrolling in one of our tricks or canine good citizen classes. In the event your honor student has already passed the canine good citizen (CGC), we offer both of the advanced CGC certifications.

Interested in exploring dog sports? We offer both rally and scent work classes. Your dog will love coming to scent work classes, because sniffing is what they do naturally -- in a less formal way.

In the event you are beginning with a new dog in your life or want to refresh previous training, Train the Bay offers a variety of classes that teach the basic skills, including special sessions for small dogs and young puppies.

We also offer seminars and workshops on pertinent topics. This October, we are offering pet first aid and CPR. Seminars on dog behavior problems, such as reactivity and aggression, are offered regularly.

Find Out More

Now has never been a better time to go back to school…with your dog!

All of our services and classes are located at www.trainthebay.org. If you have questions or need help determining the right class for you and your dog, please email us at trainthebay@berkeleyhumane.org.

“Dominance” in Dog Training and Behavior, Explained

Guest post by Nancy Frensley, CPDT-KA, CAP2, CNWI, CGC Evaluator, Senior Behavior and Training Manager, Berkeley Humane


Dog trainers sometimes still talk about a dog being dominant or dominating. This terminology has affected how people behave toward their dogs and is thankfully, falling out of use. The term is common among biologists who primarily study species in wild settings. It has a use and a precise definition in that context. It describes how a specific species or sub species controls resources in a domain and it can describe population dynamics.

People sometimes excuse their dogs' rude behavior toward other dogs by saying, “He’s alpha.” And some famous trainers have recommended ways to get dogs to change their behavior by “dominating them in physical ways. These are moves that all too often get used for every behavior an owner doesn’t like such as not coming quickly enough or barking at another dog.

Dog trainers, many of whom had been military dog handlers during World War II, were quick to pick up early theories about the dog/human relationship, which were loosely based on observations of captive wild wolves and how they behaved toward each other. This led observers to the believe that “dominance” was a personality trait.

It was thought, at the time, that if we just mirrored a wolf pack with our own dogs, We could solve all behavior and training problems. Dog owners were instructed to go to the mat with their dogs and always win, no matter how exhausting it might be, and people dutifully did so, pinning mystified and frightened dogs to the ground until they gave up (or bit the owners)

Using these theories put both trainers and pet owners into conflict with the dogs they loved. The whole misguided movement resulted in the widespread use of abusive training techniques which have rapidly been replaced with dog friendly training through positive reinforcement and games. These are much more palatable to both the dogs and the people involved and gets better results in the long run.

There is a very easy way to view dominance when referring to companion dogs and their people. Dominance, in biology, is the control of and access to resources. We humans control most of our dogs’ resources and control access to just about everything our dogs want. We determine when and where the dog eliminates, what resting surfaces he can use, when and what he eats and how he greets strangers. That makes us, by default, the dominant species.

We can decide how we use this status and don’t have to do anything extra to prove that we are, indeed, the dominant species in this relationship. We can choose to be kind, to train in a dog friendly way and be gentle & compassionate while setting the boundaries needed for our dogs to live with us in a human society.

And have you noticed, nobody talks about dominating cats?


Berkeley Humane's training philosophy and testimonials are on our website, as is a list of upcoming dog training classes.

Dogs Playing Together: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Guest post by Nancy Frensley, CPDT,CAP2, CNWI, CGC Evaluator, Senior Behavior and Training Manager, Berkeley Humane

One of first things adopters from Berkeley Humane want to do is take their dogs to a dog park. It’s easy to assume that all dogs both want to play with other dogs and have the right temperament and social skills to do so. However, everyone will benefit by considering a few things before beginning this particular adventure.

Pixie and Cinnamon chase a friend. Photo by Pär Winzell.

Until puppies reach maturity, between the ages of eighteen months and two years, most of them enjoy playing with other dogs. Good dog play can teach young dogs valuable lessons. Play enhances bite inhibition, develops communication skills, and maintains friendly responses to other dogs. As they mature, most dogs become less universal in their desire to play.

Even though some parts of each puppy’s play style are inherited, each of them goes through distinct developmental periods during the first two years of life in which social and play styles are formed. Puppies (under four months) can be very rude but are generally tolerated by adult dogs as well as their human parents. Between the ages of about five and eighteen months, almost all puppies start to push their boundaries with both people and their own kind. In addition, puppies experience distinct “fear periods” during this time of their lives. Unsupervised play as well as harsh corrections can cause pups to develop fear as well as the inappropriate play styles of chasing, body slamming and persistent wrestling; styles that can lead to aggression problems.

Photo by Pär Winzell

Most dogs reach full maturity at about two years. After that, they are less likely to engage in play with dogs they don’t already know and may become more reserved with people as well. Most are content, at this point, to play with previously established dog friends. Sometimes, they lose their desire to play with dogs entirely. Dogs adopted as adults have often had limited social exposure and may never enjoy playing with other dogs.

From the very first day, you should carefully monitor all your dog’s playtimes. By supervising, you can shape your dog’s play style for the rest of his life. The most important part of supervision is being able to recognize when play is appropriate and when it is not. The second most important part is being able to interrupt questionable or inappropriate play and call your dog away before it goes bad.

There are three kinds of dog play—good, questionable, and totally inappropriate. Here’s how to tell them apart:

Good dog play.

You don’t need to interrupt this play. The dogs are monitoring themselves.

• Healthy play is balanced. There is a lot of give-and- take. Both dogs are clearly having fun. 
• Dogs have loose, relaxed bodies, and their movements are silly and inefficient-looking.
• Chase games exhibit a sense of sharing. But, if one dog is being chased into hiding or is becoming defensive, interrupt the play.
• Both dogs are making friendly play gestures. These include play bows, turning and hitting with the hips and both dogs stopping when things get too rough.

Questionable dog play.

You should always interrupt this play before it goes too far. Any of the following behaviors can lead to a fight.

• Wrestling can be appropriate but is questionable and should be interrupted if more than two dogs are involved, or if one dog is always on the bottom.
• Tug-of- war if one or both dogs become possessive.
• Stalking postures. These postures are not play behavior. A stalking posture is significantly different from play bow and is often the first stage of a body slam.

Rude and totally inappropriate dog play.

This “play” is not play at all; it is aggressive behavior and must always be stopped. After you intervene you have a good opportunity to play one-on- one with your dog while he settles down. Rude behaviors are:

• Neck biting and collar grabbing.
• Excessive barking and harassing another dog. Rude puppies often do this relentlessly at adult dogs that do not want to play.
• Body slamming. This is only fun for the slammer.
• Pinning. Bull breeds do this routinely, but others do it, too.
• Mounting other dogs. Both males and females do this and it is almost guaranteed to start a fight.
• Snapping. A dog that is scared or aggravated may snap; so may a dog that is guarding a toy or a bone.
• Standing in a “T” position (head over another dog’s shoulders). This is never play; it is always a challenge. Don’t let it happen at all.
• Ganging up. Two or more dogs ganging up on one.
• General over-arousal, resulting in a case of the crazies, growlies, or snappies.

If you cannot call your dog away quickly and effectively as soon as play becomes questionable use a long line (20’-30’) and practice calling your dog with rewards every day. Once you call your dog away from play, give him time to calm down before releasing him to play again. If your dog has gotten into a scuffle, stop all interactions with other dogs for the remainder of the outing.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to supervise their dogs to keep play friendly.

Photo by Pär Winzell

If you have questions about your dog's behavior, please feel free to email training@berkeleyhumane.org. Learn more about Berkeley Humane's training approach, led by post author Nancy Frensley, and peruse our list of upcoming classes under Nancy's expert guidance.

Woof Wednesday: Let's Just Walk!

Trying to walk a dog with poor leash manners can be quite a stressful experience. If you’re having trouble walking your dog, never fear! Berkeley Humane is holding a “Lets Just Walk” class starting on March 19 that offers a series of exercises which (with practice) will increase your dog’s ability to focus during walks. The ultimate goal is to reach relaxed leash walking with your dog, build team work and ensure that walking your dog in public is an enjoyable, stress free experience for everyone involved!

Walking on leash can ultimately be a very frustrating experience for dogs - they can feel uncomfortable, limited, or vulnerable if not guided and trained. When properly taught leash manners, dogs can get a lot of great mental and physical stimulation from a nice leashed walk!

Nancy Frensley, behavior and training manager at Berkeley Humane, explains that a good measure of walking manners is being able to recall your dog to your side when passing another person or dog, and have your dog stay walking right alongside you until passing is clear. As a rule of thumb, this is a good courtesy to extend to others - even though your dog may be very friendly, most dogs are not comfortable with other dogs rushing right up to their face, and some people may be afraid of dogs!

According to Nancy, a common mistake most people make is to not ask anything of their dog while on leash. She explains, “Without cues or a ‘job,’ dogs tend be free to do…well, what dogs do! They bark, chase squirrels, react to other dogs and sounds.”

Rather than teach dogs to robotically watch you and not enjoy the walking experience, Nancy emphasizes allowing dogs to sniff and explore in a relaxed manner on the other end of the leash, but guiding them to understand your requirements (such as heeling and walking beside you when called). A key to this is to be alert and aware your environment and recall your pup with positive cues before they get a chance to be aroused and riled up. 

In “Lets Just Walk,” dogs (and their humans) will learn positioning and heeling in all directions, which are both some key tools in working towards off leash etiquette.

“Good walking takes lots of energy and effort. An ideal walk is one where your dogs body is balanced over all four feet,” said Nancy, “This walking class will give people a very solid start and foundation to continue building on.”

You can register for the class as well as browse others at the Berkeley Humane dog training schedule page.

Introducing a dog into your cat-only household

"...dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" - Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters

Did you know that that cats and dogs don’t have to know each other from kittenhood and puppyhood to be able to live together? It is definitely possible to successfully introduce an adult dog into a cat household, and even for the two to eventually become pals. So if you’re an animal lover with a cat already in your home, it is still possible for you to adopt or foster a dog! Here are some tips and tricks to help facilitate successful introductions. 

First, set up your cat for success! Before your bring a dog into your home, you can work on the following with your cat: 

• Place the litter box, cat food and water in a safe space, where the dog cannot access it.
• Create high, safe spaces in your home that your dog cannot reach. You can use tall cat trees or install fun shelving on the walls for your cat to climb. Ideally, your cat would be able to get from one end of a room to the other without having to touch the ground. This allows your cat to observe and get used to the presence of a dog without feeling like they are in danger. This also provides your kitty with much more space as well as an easy escape route if they become overwhelmed.
• Even dogs that can be great with cats will chase anything that runs away, so work on building confidence in your cat! This can be done by spending lots of time playing with your cat, in addition to providing lots of vertical space and escape routes. 

Second, take your time finding the right dog that is the right fit for your family!

• Ideally, you should select a dog that has had prior experience with cats. If this is not possible, it would be wise to choose one that has tested well with cats at the shelter. Although testing well with cats at the shelter doesn’t always translate to doing well with cats in the home, it can be a helpful indicator. 
• If you have a senior cat at home, it may be a good idea to look for a more mellow, lower energy dog that won’t play too rough. 
• Curiosity and chasing can be worked on, but if a dog is lunging aggressively towards cats and shows strong prey drive, it probably isn’t a good dog to bring into a home with your cat. 
• Rotate the animals in the house for a few days to get them used to each other's scent - keep them from seeing each other by keeping the cat in a room during the day, and allowing the dog the rest of the space. At night, keep the dog in a room, and give the cat free run of the house to explore the exciting new scents.
• It’s critical to work on very strong basic cues with your dog, such as “leave it” or “wait” and to develop a very solid recall, so that you can recall the dog if it gets too interested in the cat. Berkeley Humane offers all sorts of training classes that would be helpful, you can see a full list of classes here. 

Third, make sure the first introductions takes place in a calm, controlled environment. 

• During the first introduction, the dog should be leashed and under control. Its best that the introduction take place when both animals are calm, and in an area where the cat has vertical space to perch up high. 
• Give your dog plenty of treats and if it gets too focused on the cat, recall its attention. Do your best to ensure that both animals get used to being relaxed in the same space together. These leashed interactions should happen for several days without incident before you allow unleashed interactions. If you are away, make sure to keep the dog in an exercise pen, crate, or separate room where it cannot be alone with the cat. 

Fourth, move on to supervised unleashed interactions

• Once a week or more of leashed interactions go by with out any alarming occurrences, you are ready for supervised, unleashed interactions. 
• Keep a vigilant eye out for any signs of rising tension, and continue to treat the dog and keep the interactions calm and mellow. Do not hesitate separating the two again if you feel that they are not ready for this step. 

Finally, unsupervised interactions!

• After a month or more of supervised, off leash interactions go without incident, you may be able to start leaving the two alone together. Start with shorter periods of time, and work your way up. Of course, you are the best judge of your dog and cat. Keep an eye out on body language and warning signs, and don’t hesitate to start separating the two if you have any doubts. 

Signs to look out for: 

• Dog getting overly focused in on the cat. Break the focus by recalling and rewarding with treats. If recall doesn’t work, physically body block the cat from the dog to break focus. 
• Keep an eye out on your cat’s eating, drinking, and litter box habits. If these habits are not normal or don’t go back to normal after an adjustment period, your cat may be stressed.
• Be observant of body language and watch for aggression. This can go both ways - if your cat is continually acting out against a completely calm dog, and it is being properly exercised and has plenty of safe spaces to retreat, you may not have a dog-friendly cat. 

Though it may seem daunting at first, once you get started the process will feel somewhat intuitive. Introducing a dog into your feline family can be a wonderful, rewarding experience for everyone involved. 

If you’re interested in adopting a dog, check out our adoptable dogs here! For more information on volunteering as a foster, please visit our volunteer page. 

Life with Dogs and Babies: a new workshop at Berkeley Humane

Berkeley Humane offers a broad spectrum of helpful dog training classes from Basic Obedience to Canine Good Citizen certification, with stops along the way at useful skills like nosework and showy skills like tricks!

Berkeley Humane's own trainer, Nancy Frensley, CPDT, CAP2 (who was voted Best Private Trainer in the Bay Area in the 2010 Bay Woof "Beast of the Bay" awards), is bringing another useful class to area dog owners.

In conjunction with Jane Rosenblum, a dog trainer of 25 years who specializes in dogs and kids through The Canine-Kid Connection, we are happy to announce a Life with Dogs and Babies workshop on Sunday, November 15. If you are expecting a baby or have young children, this interactive, two-hour workshop will guide you through child-canine relationships from pregnancy through pre-school.

As a specialist in harmonious relationships between dogs and children, Rosenblum says that among the most frequent calls for help she receives are from families who didn't realize there was tension until someone was bitten. "They’re usually not serious bites," Rosenblum says. "The parents just didn’t know how closely they needed to supervise. The dog feels cornered, the child doesn't know it needs to back off, and the dog eventually snaps." This situation is easy to forestall with a little foreknowledge, she says. "It’s really about educating people."

Life with Dogs and Babies will offer tips and tricks for each phase of a baby's life — an important strategy since dogs must get used to rapid changes in their new housemates.

"If you think about it, there’s very little about a newborn baby that would tell a dog it’s a young person," Rosenblum points out. "Babies move differently, make different sounds, smell different from adults. It can take two to three months for a dog to really get used to the baby, but soon the baby starts to sit up and crawl! The dog’s used to seeing the baby one way and then the baby moves to the next stage. Each of those stages needs a new adjustment for the dog."

Some of the lessons Rosenblum will share include suggestions for helpful tools and short games to keep dogs entertained.

"People are so busy that they may forget about the dog when they have a new baby or a toddler," says Rosenblum. "So I’ve come up with a number of simple things that you can do with a dog to give it a little attention just for a couple of minutes." For example, she recommends a simple bonding exercise that most people are capable of — singing to your pooch. "A lot of dogs like being sung to. Make up a song with your dog’s name in it. It can even be the dog’s name repeated over and over again. Just look at the dog and sing! Sounds kind of silly but the dogs love it."

The workshop will also take a close look at dog body language, with photographs of dogs with babies and toddlers to demonstrate what to look for. "Some photos show safe situations and others show situations that may not be safe," Rosenblum says. 

Interested in learning about preparing your dog for a new baby? Sign up here for our Life with Dogs and Babies workshop. This class is for adults only; no dogs, please. 

Photography credits unknown; we will be happy to provide credit upon request. 

Going Home: Lil'Lady

Welcome to Woof Wednesday, dear reader! As you know from our long-standing feature of Going Home posts, we love nothing more than catching up with those families that adopt animals from us. Hearing how an animal settles in and becomes a real member of the family is so rewarding!

And sometimes you get a response that is so thorough and shows so much concern and effort that we just have to feature it. Not only to celebrate Lil’Lady (formerly known as Mocha) and her fantastic family but also for all you people who are considering bringing a new dog into your lives but wonder what that process might look like. 

Below you can read Anastasia’s report of adopting a big, high energy dog and integrating her into the daily goings-on of her family. Because Anastasia also asks our staff for advice, we consulted with our resident dog behavior expert, Nancy, and we have included her answer here. Settle in for a good read!

“[…]I'm happy to say Lil'Lady has continued to adjust well here and is becoming part of the pack =) 

Lady and Big Boy have become great pals, hanging out in the back yard together either lounging around,sniffing and exploring the yard, or chasing each other and wrestling. Lady's energy level is perfect for Big Boy (who has a lot himself!). She actually tires him out! They are eating their meals together, taking walks on a split leash and hangout indoors and outdoors together very nicely. We have also started using Lil'Lady's feeding times to train her. So, instead of feeding her out of her bowl we are hand feeding her while training (we are working on the following: sit, stand, down, watch, leave it, off, here). She is better at some than others, and still figuring out the more tricky ones (like stand and here), but overall has caught on quickly. Her watch and leave it are particularly nice. 

She is still taking some time meeting new people, usually barking at a friend who is visiting the house or a neighbor making noise in their yard. She has gotten used to Davi's mother visiting (as well has her elderly dog) which is wonderful since we see her often. Most of the time though, when there are visitors, Lady happily relaxes in her kennel. Oh, right, she has gotten used to her crate which has been awesome. She is happy to go in, and of course happy to come out =) 

As for the fish tank, she is still very interested and sometimes putting her paws on the counter top to get a closer look, but she no longer tries to jump on the counter or sit staring intensely as she did before. She is also responding to "off" more quickly when she is putting paws on the counter. This has turned into grabbing food off the table/counters too, so "off" is becoming very handy =) She actually pulled  a pizza box off the counter last weekend which was a surprise my younger daughter - but luckily we salvaged most of it without too much trouble =) 

I think overall, Lil'Lady has become much more comfortable here, showing more of her sweet personality, and the more mischievous one too =) And as for the kids, they feel very comfortable with Lady, and she with them. Lady does well listening to them as well as she does to us, which I'm very 
happy for. 

Thank you again for checking in! We are considering signing her up for lessons soon, although I'm not sure how she'd do in a class setting since she still seems to lose interest in treats when we are on walks. So I imagine being in a class with lots of other dogs and people might make her too anxious to care about treats or listening to us . . . any thoughts on this?  […]” 

How is that for a investing in your new dog, eh? Anastasia, you and your family are an amazing example for everyone. We are so grateful for your continuing effort to make Lil’Lady live up to her potential and we are sure she feels very lucky to be in your home. 

With regards to your question about bringing an energetic and easily distracted dog to a training class, we asked Nancy Frensley, Berkeley Humane's highly experienced dog behaviorist and trainer, and this is what she says: 

“Here is what I tell everyone who has doubts about their dogs being able to function in a class setting.

The purpose of Basic and Small Dog Basic Obedience is to help you get your dog started on a path that will build confidence and increase functionality.  Our trainers are experienced and helpful.  Any of them can help you learn to motivate your dog.  At first, your dog might feel a little overwhelmed in the class setting but we have techniques that manage that.  You go home with routines to practice and, through those, your dog becomes more confident and habituates to the class setting and many other situations that have proved overwhelming.

Training builds not only confidence but increases your dog’s trust in you as a protector and teacher.  It also increases the adopter’s confidence in handling and coaching their dogs.  You can’t go wrong trying a class.  Some of our late evening classes are small and well suited to the under-confident and less motivated dogs.” 

There you have it! A good training class will teach both you and your dog and coach you how to work together in situations that may be challenging for you. 

For more information on our Basic and Small Dog Basic Obedience classes, look here. If you have questions that you want to ask of Berkeley Humane’s behaviorists, you can do so here. We encourage everyone to reach out with any questions or concerns they may have.

Helpful Hints to Understanding Dog Body Language

Welcome, friends, to another wonderful Woof Wednesday!  As most of our readers know, Berkeley Humane does an amazing job of finding homes for dogs and cats in need. But that’s not all that goes on, we also offer some fantastic training and classes led by our very own Behavior and Training Manager, Nancy Frensley. Nancy also offers private dog training and evaluations for dogs and owners who benefit from one-on-one attention.

I was fortunate to attend an insightful Brown Bag Primer focused on dog body language last Wednesday, where Nancy shared many tips to help attendees better approach and interact with dogs. With help from a short video, Nancy discussed the “Zoom Room Guide to Dog Body Language,” making sure to explain the different behaviors each dog exhibited.

The first topic covered was Facial Expressions. Nancy first showed us examples of relaxed dogs and pointed out certain indicators to tell when a dog is at ease such as: open mouths, ears that are relaxed/ forward, relaxed eyes, and happy expressions. Next we looked at worried dogs. Dogs that are worried will have: closed mouths, ears that are pointed backwards or sideways, wrinkles around the eyes or forehead, and often will be shrinking back from whatever it is that is scaring or worrying them.

Next, Nancy explained Stress Signals, which are behaviors dogs exhibit when they are stressed by a situation. These are also called Calming Signals, because they are used by dogs to diffuse aggression and calm interactions. Common stress signals to look out for are: a lifted paw, repeated yawing (when not tired), the “Half Moon” (wide or scared) eye, and nose licking. According to Nancy, you should look out for these signals any time your dog is encountering a new situation or meeting new dogs/ people. If you notice your dog displaying stress or calming signals, remove them from the situation or distract them until they calm down.

We then moved on to Body Language, and how to determine if a dog if relaxed, nervous, or alert. Dogs that are relaxed will have: a low, wagging tail; a friendly expression that looks alert and interested, and all four paws on the ground. Dogs that are nervous, however; will be slouching or slinking, with their tails tucked and a wary expression. They will have stiff legs and often will try to hide from what is making them nervous. As Nancy mentioned, nervous dogs are much more likely to bite so it is important to be wary of these body language displays. She then discussed the body language of alert or aroused dogs (rather than nervous). These dogs will have: closed mouths, ears forward or pricked, a forward stance, and an upright tail that may wag slowly.

Lastly, we looked at danger signs to look out for in dogs. These signs include: teeth showing, lips curled back, ears back, the “half-moon” eye, and growling and snarling. It is very important to be aware of these behaviors because dogs exhibiting them will often bite.

Throughout the discussion, Nancy gave helpful hints on how to approach dogs in each situation. For example, if a dog is very nervous or scared you can throw a treat behind them to distract them and divert their attention.

If you found these tips helpful and would like even more be sure to check out the Dog Training page of our website, https://www.berkeleyhumane.org/Dog-Training. There you can find information on our many behavior classes or private training available with Nancy, as well as great at-home resources and you’ll have access to our behavior advice hotline!