Most often when I hear my clients complain about these behaviors I wonder if the dog is truly mentally and physically stimulated at home.  If I was locked in a room with 4 white walls and one sofa with nothing to do for days on end, sooner or later I would shred the sofa too!  You must find ways to entertain your dog’s mind to help him stay well behaved.

A dog’s sense of smell is 2000 greater than that of a human.  I often liken reading a book or watching a movie to a dog following a scent or even digging through layers of ground scents (although we consider this naughty, each layer of ground has a new and different story for your dog’s nose)

A Dog’s Nose Can Find

Your Dog's Most Powerful Sense

• Missing Persons
• Cadavers
• Disease like cancer cells
• Seizures
• Molds
• Insects like termites
• Explosives
• Drugs
• Fruits and Veggies at customs

It is instinctual for dog’s to use their noses, so I like to teach my dog’s how to use them appropriately and how to play games with their noses.  This is also appropriate to do with multiple dogs, as long as it doesn’t get too competitive.

In Nose Work 1,  we will discuss the basics of teaching you dog to use his sense of smell at home, and later I will discuss different ways to teach your dog to use his nose in his outside world and how to teach him scent discrimination.

How To Get Started

1. Air pop some popcorn, do not use microwave popcorn with butter or salt; this is too hard on your dog’s kidneys.  Use plain popcorn for this training because it is easy to see, nonfattening, and easy to smell
2. First I toss some pieces of popcorn on the floor in front of my dogs and say “Find It” .  “Find It” means to use your eyes, nose and ears (if appropriate).
3. Once your dog is adept at looking around and eating the popcorn, hold his collar or avert his eyes as you toss the popcorn so that he will not see it fall, you can use a helper if you need to, then give him the “Find It” command.If he is having trouble finding it, calmly walk toward the popcorn without leaning over or showing him and wait till he finds it, or back up a step in training. When your dog is clearly looking around and you can hear him sniffing he is ready to move on to the next step.
4. Next toss a piece of popcorn clearly out of his range of sight but within easy reach if he wanders around; like behind your chair or sofa or around a corner and give him the command.  Again, he should be clearly using his eyes and his nose to search for the popcorn.
5. Then start hiding the popcorn under things like the table or the edge of the sofa, be careful that he is able to get to the popcorn or he may become frustrated bite the furniture or scratch the carpet.
6. Next hide things at table or sofa level like on the sofa, a chair, or a book shelf (avoid the kitchen table this time ha ha)
7. Now begin hiding things on a higher level above his nose level.  He must be taught that things can be found on all levels of his environment or he will give up if he can’t find it easily

Play this game for several days or even weeks until you are sure your dog has grasped the concept and is actively searching, now using mostly his nose to seek his treat.

The next step is to find a unique smell and attach it to an object that can easily be hidden.  I often chose a large rag and salt.  Salt is very easily detected by the canine nose so I soak a large rag (so that it cannot be swallowed) in water and lightly sprinkle with salt.  Do not use too much salt, only a very light sprinkle is needed, remember your dog’s nose is 2000 times stronger than yours!  Now allow the rag to fully dry.

Let your dog sniff the rag then go back to step one by tossing the rag to the floor and saying “Find It”.  Praise him wildly when he races toward the rag, you can also give him a treat.  Go back to the list and work your way down the steps hiding the rag on all levels of your room.

When he becomes adept at finding the rag, I like to teach my dog to lay down as a passive sign that he has found his scent.  As soon as he finds it, have him lay down and reward him so that he realizes that this is a behavior chain: find the rag, then lay down to alert that the rag has been found, and then wait patiently for the treat.

As you are training, move from room to room and never use a particular pattern of which level it can be found on, when he finds it don’t let him grab it, have him lay down and reward him for a passive alert.  This keeps him from ever snatching things that could possibly be dangerous.

As he learns this game, I begin to change the scent.  Much later we can teach him scent discrimination but in the beginning using a few different scents to hide is enough.

I keep my rags in Ziploc bags in the freezer to keep their smell fresh and to keep him from playing this game without me, becoming bored, or associating where I keep these rags with the game.  You need the scent to be as fresh as possible in the beginning.

Have a good time and as he learns and becomes adept at this game make the hiding places more difficult for him to find, this challenges his mind!  This is a great game that can be utilized even when the weather is cold or rainy or you don’t feel like taking him out for physical exercise.  Basic nose games are some of my favorite ways to entertain an active, bored dog that needs a job!

Nose Work 1 an Introduction to Nose Games is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

My Best Friends Chilling in their Backyard

There are fewer joys in life greater than a good walk; add a well behaved dog to that equation and in my opinion you have pure perfection!  I have the great honor of training and walking 5 Weimaraners twice a week.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are full of exhilaration and exercise, I tell my friends I am Weimar-running or doing Weimar-obics.  Although it is a job for me (thank goodness for wonderful clients who rescue dogs) it is an opportunity for me to get outside, enjoy the weather and beat some of my stress.

Last Tuesday, I headed out for my normal routine.  First I work with Zach, he is a four year old rescue, and in his former life (if you can call it that) he was tied to a tree.  This lack of socialization and the stimulation of watching other dogs and kids coming and going has caused Zach to be quite dog aggressive and easily over stimulated.

However, I am happy to report after a few years of training and desensitization and under the watchful eye of a veterinary behaviorist we have seen a remarkable improvement.  In the respect of safety, I walk Zach alone.  I also make sure he is always on a gentle leader ® and a martingale collar, this gives me ultimate control in case of an off leash dog emergency.

Many dogs in the South are “outside” dogs and have never seen the inside of a house, and often run in packs.  Although we were rushed by two small dogs, Zach has learned to trust in me and give up ultimate authority to me, and I was able to keep them and him at a safe distance while providing him with mental entertainment.

After Zach, the alpha dog, gets his walk, it is time to walk the other four boys.  Because we have been working and training together for so long, I am able to walk the other three or four dogs together.  I have even trained for a marathon with all of them running by my side in the heel position.

It takes miraculous skill and trust to run with 3 or 4 dogs that are over 100 pounds apiece.  Ultimately I am able to walk or run all of them with four leashed draped over one finger.  They too have learned to listen to respect, and deduce my every movement.  We all really enjoy the time we spend together.

On this particular day, there was a man and his dog in the neighborhood as I rounded the corner with the boys.  His dog was distracted and not use to walking around other dogs, he kept turning around, barking and growling and pulling on his leash.

My boys, were perfect, although stimulated to see another dog, they were fantastic about staying in heel position and paying attention to my every move.  I perceive every occasion like this as a training opportunity, so we fell back about 50 feet and worked on our training.

I varied my pace, changed my direction, made a few circles and encouraged my dogs to pay attention to me with praise and petting.

Unfortunately, the guy in front of me quickly began to lose patience with his dog, and finally kicked his dog in the ribcage and jerked on his leash.  For a moment, his dog did pay attention, but it was simply because he was terrified he would be met by the same anger.

I could see his eyes wildly dashing back and forth toward the street and then back to his owner.  It was clear his dog didn’t know why he had been the recipient of such rage.  In his mind, what he was doing was normal, he was entertaining himself and he was also challenging any sense of danger from a pack of unknown dogs.

I was distraught and saddened that someone would so blatantly abuse his dog however I felt it was in the best interest of the dog to fall back and change directions to alleviate the distraction we were causing.

I Tried to See the Situation from all Points of View

• To me this was a training opportunity, a chance to strengthen and polish my dog’s obedience skills.
• To my dogs it was an opportunity to challenge their minds and add excitement to our walk.  The addition of a new dog meant paying more attention to me, changing directions, doing circles and changing paces.  There was no time to pay attention to what the other dog was doing.
• To the other dog, who was bored with a slow walk, we provided excitement and stimulation.
• To the owner, he let himself get irritated.  He probably didn’t regularly work obedience with his dog at home and he became frustrated when his dog would not listen to him.

It is fairly simple to get your dog to have good leash manners if you understand walking from his perspective.  Walking in one direction at a slow pace is boring for dogs and boredom leads to looking for ways to entertain themselves.

When dogs are forced to entertain themselves, whether at home or on a walk, they often choose naughty or what we presume as naughty behavior.  They bark, they growl, they lunge, they lead with their noses and sniff, they pull; these things provide mental stimulation for them.

The Key to Enjoying Your Walk Together

1. You must provide entertainment for your dog’s mind.
2. Vary your pace!  Dogs like to walk quickly and walking at a quick pace gives less opportunity for sniffing and pulling.
3. Changing your direction, throwing in turns and circles in the middle of the street also teaches your dog that he needs to be paying attention to your every move.  If he has to speculate your movement and direction, he has less time to pay attention to distractions and chose those naughty behaviors plus its FUN for you both and it gives you a chance to polish your obedience.

You MUST provide your dog with mental stimulation.  The Weimaraners I walk not only trust me that they will be kept safe because I am in control, they also enjoy the fact that they never know how fast or slow, which direction I might turn, if I may just turn around…they just don’t know WHAT I will do so they didn’t have time to care what that other dog was doing and most importantly they were getting praised and petted each time they made a correct choice.

Practice makes perfect!  The more you work with your dog the more you will reap the benefits of your hard work and the more you can actually enjoy your time together.  I truly believe there is almost nothing better than a good walk with a well behaved dog!  A good walk is hard to beat!

Sebastian: where all the Weimaraner Rescuing Started

A Good Walk is Hard to Beat is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Do you sing to your dog?   If not, perhaps you might want to give it a try.   According to Roberta, you might be in for some surprising results!

Singing to your dog has an effect.

by Roberta Baxter, January 15, examiner.com

Yes, you read this correctly! No I am not going off my rocker! The senses for animals are different than human sensory abilities as we know specifically from the sounds the dog hears that we don’t.  It is not just the pitch, but the flow of tones that catch a dog’s attention. Try singing  “Yankee Doodle” to your canine and see what the response is.  Then sing  ”Brahms Lullaby”.  You know the one that mamas sing their little ones to sleep with when they are cranky. Now one must really get into the depth of the meaning of those songs as you are singing, because if you don’t the effect will not be accurate.

As we sing a gentle flowing, calming song, we produce serene surroundings for our dogs.  Try it the next time you know your dog does not like to visit a certain place. Yes, the trip to the veterinarian is the great place to practice this concept. Choose the song you will be singing each time you are going to the Vet.  You can change the tune, but you will then be changing the effect since the dog will not be guided by your familiar song.

Read the rest of Roberta’s article.

Singing to Your Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

courtesy of www.dogstardaily.com

You are probably aware of how important it is to socialize your puppy.  Having good socialization skills will help your dog respond with acceptable and healthy behaviors when faced with situations that may be disturbing or disrupting to their normal routines.

Siblings and Roommates Don’t Count

posted by Cindy Bruckart, February 24th, 2010, dogstardaily.com

I’m often asking dog owners about their dog’s socialization history.  Even if the dog owner tells me that their dog is “good with other dogs”, I have to ask more questions.  Time and again, the dogs that their dog is good with include the siblings he played with at the breeder’s home, the dog he lives with and a relative’s dog.  That’s it.

When I tell them that siblings and roommates don’t count, we get to the truth of the matter.  The dog may be nearly a year old and have only met one or two other dogs, besides siblings and roommates.  Now, I know that dog owners reading this might not see this as a big problem, as long as the dog was good with those dogs, we should be able to assume he’d be good with others, right?  Wrong.

Socialization is a continuing process, not a single event.  We can’t say that a human is well socialized if the only people he sees until his teen years are his siblings and his parents.  Imagine a child who had only played with his siblings for 14 years being dropped off at middle school!  No matter how well he may have played with siblings, I think we’d expect him to be lacking severely in social skills.  It’s certainly unfair to expect dogs, with their shorter “childhoods”, to become masters of social grace after being exposed to only two or three of their species.

Read the rest of Cindy’s article.

Socialization is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

What dog behaviors should I encourage?

by Nicole S. Silvers, March 3, 2010, dogstardaily.com

Behaviors to Encourage is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Old dog behavior changes

by alexadry, hubpages.com

Senior dogs get Alzheimers too!

Owners of geriatric dogs often call their veterinarian office concerned about their dog’s recent behavior changes. They may report that their dog may wake up in the middle of the night and start howling. Others may report their very well house-trained dog gets up and has accidents around the house or wakes up to drink and then shortly after urinates on the carpet.

I know about these instances as I have personally often taken these calls.

I recall particularly, an owner one day calling concerned about her dog because he started wandering around the home at night bumping into furniture and hardly recognizing her. He would then sleep for most of the day undisturbed. The owner was unable to sleep properly and was very concerned by this recent worrisome behavior. Afterward, the dog also changed behavior, from an outgoing dog he became an overly submissive and timid fellow.While all the above instances required a careful evaluation by the vet via a thorough physical and geriatric blood-work sent to a lab, most instances turned out to be simply signs of good old aging.

Read the rest of the article.

Behavior Changes in an Older Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

courtesy of www.dogblog.dogster.com

They say “Music soothes the savage beast.”  Yes, I realize that is a misquote; it is actually “Music hath powers to soothe the savage breast.” However, I believe in this case, we’ll go with the first one.  Now, perhaps you don’t consider your sweet little pooch to be savage, but then again…

Dogster Exclusive Interview: Calming Dog Musician, Lisa Spector

by Maria Goodavage

Dogster’s for the love of the dog blog

We’ve got another terrific interview for you this week, with Lisa Spector, concert pianist and graduate of The Juilliard School.

“But this is DOGster, not MUSICster,” you might say. True. Fortunately for us, Lisa has a foot in both camps.

Lisa is co-founder of BioAcoustic Research & Development, where she presided over the groundbreaking music and canine research conducted with 150 dogs. She is the pianist on the Through a Dog’s Ear music series. If you have a dog who could use a little calming at home or in the car, these CDs are for you.

Lisa has won first prizes in prestigious national piano competitions and performs concert tours internationally, so dogs and people lucky enough to hear her music are in for a treat. Click here for a few free downloads and samples of her calming music for dogs.

Read the rest of Maria’s article

Tunes for your Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

A lot of people are feeling the effects of “cabin fever” this winter with all of the snow we’ve had, so imagine how good it feels to finally get out and see new sites, other people, and generally just stimulate our minds with new adventures.  Well, your dog needs new adventures once in awhile, as well.  Read this article explaining why it is important to take your dog on field trips.

Field Trips: why it’s important to get your dog out of the house

by Rachael Pan, February 6, 2010

Examiner.com

Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and as such, can quickly and easily become bored. Stimulation—both physical and mental—is very important to the overall health and well-being of your dog. Taking your dog on a “Field Trip” is a great way to give him some extra stimulation.

A field trip for your dog is going anywhere new, unusual or rarely visited. Your dog may surprise you with how fascinated he is with something as simple as sniffing (or marking) some new trees, nose-to-nosing with new canine friends, or exploring some different territory. Field trips give your dog something to “think about,” and, when used to stimulate a destructive dog before leaving him alone at the house, can contribute to helping him be less inclined to seek and destroy items in your home.

Read the rest of Rachael’s article.

Taking Your Dog on Field Trips is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Stop the devocalization of dogs in your state

by Stephanie Modkins, February 1, 2010

Dogs Examiner

Did you know that some breeders and canine owners devocalize their dogs in order to reduce the sound of their barks? Sound strange? Seem barbaric? Well, it is. For this reason, passing a bill in your state that sets parameters for this type of sugary is a must.

Overview of devocalization

During the process of devocalizing a dog, a veterinarian surgically alters a canine’s voice box. This procedure permanently reduces the volume and pitch of a dog’s bark making it sound more like a hoarse or whisper. The side effects of this kind of surgery are infections, laryngeal paralysis and airway stenosis. Devocalized dogs often struggle with eating and drinking. Also, they can’t defend themselves or alert an owner of trouble because they can’t be heard from far away. These side effects, of course, are life altering ones resulting in a lower quality of existence for a dog. (See video below.)

For video and rest of  Stephanie’s article.

Devocalization of Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

The Life of the Party: Holiday Entertaining Success for Dog Owners

by Casey Lomonaco KPA CTP

The holidays are here and many of us are expecting to welcome company into our homes to celebrate the season.

While the holidays are a wonderful time, they can also be stressful for dogs and their people.  When we entertain, we hope to enjoy a nice, relaxing time and provide our guests with the same enjoyable experience.  A significant contributing factor to the likelihood of accomplishing this goal is the behavior of the family dog.  At our holiday parties, our dogs can be a significant source of pride if they are well-behaved, or can turn the fun quickly into a nightmare if they are behaving at their worst.

Read the rest of Casey’s article on successful holiday entertaining.

Holiday Entertaining and Your Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog