Category : Dog Barking

How Let Your Dog Know When it is Appropriate to Play

We have all lived with, or visited a dog that seems obsessive compulsive about playing.  You are sitting quietly watching TV or trying to get some work done when a sloppy, slimy tennis ball is thrust into your lap, leaving a stinky mark behind!

Whereas I believe it is crucial to your relationship with your dog to play together, it can also be vital to be able to get some work done or to let your dog know when it is and is not appropriate to play!

From Your Dog’s Point of View

In order to resolve any behavior problem, I believe it is critical to understand the behavior from your dog’s point of view.  Understanding is fundamental to change.

Boredom increases the likelihood of all kinds of naughty behaviors, least of all being an annoying invitation to play!  Some dogs chew drywall, shred carpet and get in all manner of trouble in order to entertain their minds and/or interact with you on some level.

Remember that ANY interaction from you, even negative is at least SOME kind of interaction.  Dogs are pack animals and need social interaction even if it comes in the form of yelling and screaming.

Dogs need exercise!  Mental stimulation keeps their minds strong, but they also need physical exercise.  Play helps them both mentally entertain themselves, it also helps them physically to burn off some steam and keep their bodies healthy.

Animals are more proficient trainers than we humans could ever be; their patience far surpasses our own when it comes to waiting for rewards.  This is a wonderful attribute, most of the time…BUT this is also why dogs are so incessant and willing to poke and prod you for hours on the chance that you will throw the ball just once!

As humans we are easily distracted and move on quickly if we are not rewarded rapidly.  We are very impatient mammals!

But, dogs have learned if they just stick it out long enough, they might finally be rewarded.

For example, if he barks LONG ENOUGH while in his crate you will let him out.  If he continues to thrust his ball in your lap, or bark at it on the ground you will eventually give up and toss it for him. This release or final toss, makes it even more rewarding when the moment comes to pass.  Imagine waiting weeks or months for a reward…when you finally get it; it is almost more exciting than you can stand!

These moments built on sustained patience and the eventual very high value reward means that your dog is even more willing to be MORE patient and incessant and wait you out the next time!

What You Can Do?

First and foremost is to understand that your dog needs exercise and interaction!

If you need to, schedule time for your dog!  Get up early and throw the ball with him, and make time to throw it after dinner and perhaps again before bedtime.

Be sure that you can tell yourself honestly that you have given him all of the attention and exercise he needs and deserves before you get angry that he is demanding your attention.

Make training and playing on your schedule and on your terms.  If you stick to a schedule your dog will get to know it and will be less demanding at other times during the day.

If your dog is getting enough exercise he should be too tired to be toooo demanding!  So,  if your dog normally comes to you at 2pm while you are trying to work, try taking him out at lunch time for a game of ball, or a walk, or a run so that he will be tired at his normal 2 o’clock play time.

Take his favorite toy away and only bring it out when YOU want to play!  Leaving him access to it all the time allows him to chew it and bring it to you in an attempt to get you to play with him!

Give him something else to do!  Keep him busy by teaching him to retrieve other items for you or having him lay by your feet or under your desk.

Working dogs like Service Dogs are so happy because they constantly feel like they have a job to do!  Even if that job is just laying quietly at their person’s feet, the dog feels needed and enjoys “working”.  Give your dog a job!

This one is important:  DO NOT GIVE IN

No matter how incessant he is, don’t give in to his demands!  This only reinforces his demanding behavior.

If he continually bugs you with barking, pawing, or the thrusting of toys get up and leave the room.  Or, you can put him outside or in another room for a bit until he calms down.

Once he realizes that demanding that you comply to his playtime ends with you or him leaving the room he will begin to stop showing the behavior.

But, remember that his patience and insistence has paid off in the past and so counter conditioning him will take longer than simply teaching him a new behavior.

Simply Put

• Give him the exercise and play he needs on your schedule and your terms!
• If he is bored and has pent up energy, he deserves to be played with!
• Put his favorite toys out of his reach so he can’t be so demanding!
• Give your dog a job!
• Be patient and don’t lose your cool!
• Whatever you do: Do Not give in to his demands or you will ruin your success for counter conditioning!

The Top 5 Most Important Dog Training Mistakes to Avoid

People always ask me how I, as a professional dog trainer, make dog training look so easy and how can they can improve their techniques?

I came up with what I believe to be the 5 most important reasons people have difficulty training their dog to work effectively for them.

These are the 5 Most Important Dog Training Mistakes to Avoid, in what I believe to be the most important order.

#5  Lack of Practice or Effort

I have said it before (sometimes I feel like I talk about the same things) but I say it again because it is soooo important!

Practice is crucial!  Your dog WILL NOT learn at obedience class once a week.  I use to tell all my dog obedience students this on the first night of class, and YES most were appalled that I would admit it

Your dog learns through repetition and training AT HOME!  If you are not making a point to work your dog daily or several times a day or week, you will not reap the benefits of a well trained dog!! Read the rest of this entry »

The Dog Training Secret’s New Video Vault

I love to read!  When I was a baby I got a vaccination that almost took my life.  I am sure my mother was terrified.  I have some memories of lying on the couch very sick.  My mother would read to me for hours, and at that time (before DVDs or VHS…ahhh I hate aging myself) Disney movies came on record.

I would sit and listen to a movie over and over until I had basically memorized it. In some ways I am grateful for all of my experiences they have shaped me and who I am as an adult.  Because of that one shot, my immune system was never quite able to fight off infection and I did get and still get every flu bug that goes around. I grew up loving reading.   Reading was my way to escape into another world and to learn about…well, anything I was interested in at the time.  My mother did not allow video games, and TV was restricted

This love of reading followed me to college when I double majored one being in English.  I still love English Literature (I know I am a nerd).  But, in many ways these are all the reasons you are reading this article right now.  If I grew up playing video games, I probably wouldn’t be writing or reading to entertain myself.

I am able to learn by reading, and I have hundreds of books lining a book shelf to prove it.  I enjoy reading and breaking things down; highlighting important points for further study.

Part of the beginning of my successful dog training career came from reading just about every dog training book I could get my hands on.  Almost 20 years ago it was difficult to find any kind of dog training on VHS or to see anything visually that wasn’t learned at a class or a seminar.

Much of my learning took place at night reading one book and then another. Read the rest of this entry »

Think Like a Dog

My friends and family say I am part dog.  I take that as a compliment, most days I would rather be like a dog than like some people.  Dogs are simple.  They are forgiving and they love unconditionally.  The things I learn from dogs and other animals make me a better and more patient human!  I lovingly wear a pendant that says “All Dog”.  I guess working with dogs for so many years and problem solving to help their owners with behavior problems has made me think more like a dog.

Now, please understand, I am not complaining!  Thinking like a dog makes me a better dog trainer and it helps me to appreciate life from their point of view.  I think everyone should take a few steps into their dog’s mind and realize what it is like to be a dog.

The first thing to do when you and your dog are not seeing eye to eye, is to try and understand life from his perspective!  Not only will this help you to be more considerate of him and his feelings it will also help you to problems solve effectively and efficiently to come up with a plan that can work for you both.

Digging

I hate digging holes!  It doesn’t matter if it’s a small hole or a large hole, digging is hard work; it makes me sore, tired and overheated!  So why does your dog like digging?

Dogs can’t read books or comprehend a good T.V. show, but digging for a dog is just plain FUN!

Your dog’s nose is 1,000 times more powerful than yours, and let’s face it dogs love disgusting stuff, the stinky- “er” the better!  I can only imagine that each new level of dirt smells exciting and like something else.  There are animals that borrow through the ground, insects, and even treasures like buried food and old bones.  I bet the scents of dogs from the past are all throughout the ground, layers of dirt and yard!

Digging for your dog is probably like watching CSI or reading a good psychological thriller is for us, it’s just super stimulating!

Not only are the scents mingling in the dirt fun to sniff, but watching the dirt fly through the air and land in abstract places can also be “super fun”!  One of my best friends has a German Shepherd who absolutely loves to dig, and then she chases the flying dirt. Read the rest of this entry »

Just Another Reason NOT to use Compulsion in Dog Training!

I have 2  Belgian Malinois and a Dutch Shepherd so it should be no surprise to those of you who are familiar with dog breeds and working dogs that I enjoy protection sports.  PLEASE!  Don’t send hate mail, although all viewpoints are welcome, I do not adhere to the barbaric practices that have formerly been known throughout the sports!

I got involved in police dog training and protection sports almost 15 years ago.  I was training Service Dogs fulltime for a nonprofit organization when I got the opportunity to get drawn into the world of protection dogs and I couldn’t resist!  I have always had the opportunity to work with trainers that were positive reinforcement based.

I think if I had, had to learn by using shock collars and “choking dogs out” I would have opted not to learn that part of the business.  But, I was lucky to be taught using good, kind, positive methods.  The men and people that I have worked with would rather have not trained a dog in the sport than to have forced a dog into the sport or to have used barbaric methods to train.

It is exhilarating work; and some of my most favorite times and memories have been spent in a bite suit! Read the rest of this entry »

A Cry For Help

Recently we got an email from a very distraught young person who begged us to help.  Please read on and perhaps my response will help others suffering from the same or similar problems!

Hi I really need you to answer my question as
fast as possible and if you have to put it in that
newsletter thing could you please put it in
very very soon or as soon as possible.

Ok my dog Koda, I don’t know what to do with
him anymore. He barks and barks and barks
when I put him in his pen at night which is about 5o
meters away form the house and my
dad said that he will get rid of my puppy if he
wont stop which will be very sad. Read the rest of this entry »

Wireless Dog Training Collars

I have recently noticed an increase in the amount of discussion relating to wireless training collars, or more commonly known as electric collars, shock collars or remote training collars.  I have never been one to shy away from sharing my opinion; after all I have almost 20 years of dog training experience to offer.

Wikipedia defines the collars as a collar that produces a static pulse stimulation at varying degrees of intensity and duration to the dog via a small transmitter incorporated into a dog collar. It also states that the collars can be used for positive reinforcement, and operant conditioning, along with positive punishment (stimulation given at the moment of the undesired behavior) and negative punishment (a continuous stimulation is given until the moment a desired behavior occurs in order to increase the frequency of that behavior).

If you don’t know the definitions of Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Punishment and Negative Punishment and understand their inter-workings then the chances are you will not be equipped to use these collars as any type of positive reinforcement.

Vibrating collars are often used on deaf dogs, but these are not shock collars these are simply collars that vibrate to get the dog’s attention since they cannot otherwise hear their owners.  This vibration paired with positive reinforcement can be good, but again this is not a correction or shock.  Your cell phone vibrates in your pocket, it does not shock you when it rings! Read the rest of this entry »

The Irritation Known as Barking

One of the most frequent and biggest complaints that I hear from most of my readers is that incessant barking has become a problem in their home.

First I want to say this is a reiteration of past articles and information.  I know it is time consuming and slightly tedious to scroll back through all of the articles and information we have posted here and that is why I have decided to rewrite about one of the most common problems.  However, I would encourage you to do a search in the left hand corner of this page if you still have questions about barking cessation.

Why?

First it is always important, in my opinion to figure out what is going on in our dog’s minds when they are showing a naughty behavior or a behavior we want to correct.  Dogs bark for many reasons, but mostly it is inherent.  Dogs bark to warn each other about impending trouble and to communicate with each other, sometimes over several miles of distance.

Our pets come with the same basic hard wiring that wolves and wild dogs have.  Their instincts tell them if in doubt; bark.  They may not be living outside worried about getting eaten by another animal, but they still see perceived danger.  The problem is their “perceived” danger may be something as silly as a leaf falling outside, or a rearrangement of items in their environment.  Some dogs are more sensitive to noticing change and vocalizing about it, and some dogs have even been bred to alert bark. Read the rest of this entry »

Are You Rewarding the Wrong Behavior?

One of the only draw backs to positive reinforcement training that I have found is inadvertently rewarding the wrong behavior.  With that said, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages and dogs who are not regularly use to positive reinforcement training still end up “training” their human counter parts!

Dogs are superior trainers!  With very little effort, a dog will realize which behaviors get them what they want and which behaviors don’t get them anywhere.  They are much better about analyzing behavior and reward principals than we are, and they are devoted to getting what they want out of life, no matter how long it takes them to convince us “dumb” humans what they need.

The problem therein lies that most of us “dumb” humans are too busy with the challenges of life to realize the naughty behaviors we are rewarding and that we are creating or enabling most of the problems we see in our dogs.

Why?

Dogs are nonverbal, they can’t come up to us and say “Hey!  I’m hungry feed me!” or “Let’s play!” instead they use behaviors to convince us to do the things they want.  They pick up their bowl and throw it, they bark in our faces, or whatever motivates us to do what they are asking.  They are much better at picking up minute behavior cues! Read the rest of this entry »

Desensitizing Your Dog with the Doorbell

When someone rings your doorbell, does it sound like World War III is starting at your house?  Most people’s dogs go crazy when the doorbell rings and they have a hard time controlling their dogs and the situation when people arrive.

Crazy barking is a conditional response and therefore it can be unconditioned with a little work and effort.

The first thing to understand is the behavior itself and how it got out of hand.  Dogs learn early on in their development that when the doorbell rings, someone is at the doorstep.  This situation brings a state if excitement, alertness, and sometimes agitation this mindset then leads to the barking.  This is a conditioned response, because with almost 100% consistency your dog has learned that when the doorbell rings someone is there waiting.

To break this response, and desensitize your dog we will need to teach him that when the doorbell rings he never knows when someone is there and that the correct response is to come to you for the appropriate response and reward. Read the rest of this entry »