Category : Pack Leader

Weaning Yourself and Your Dog from Compulsion Dog Training Collars

I was recently approached by a former client (I would still be her dogs’ trainer if I lived close enough!  I really miss her pack of dogs!) to help some of her rescue friends find an alternative to some of the training collars they have been taught to use.

I don’t like training collars, except the gentle leader, because not only do most rely on compulsion and punishment they are rarely used for “training” like they were intended or as their name implies.

A training collar if utilized should be just that; only used to train or teach a dog something.

BUT, how many times do you see a 4 or 9 year old dog still using a prong collar?

One of the biggest problems is that dog owners have been taught to utilize these collars but instead of just teaching their dogs, they rely on these products constantly to get their dogs to comply with certain behaviors.  AND, the dog knows when the collar is and is not on!

Even though many of these people have been taught by a dog trainer HOW to use these items they are never taught how to wean their dog off of them or how to teach them a different way!

Did I mention I don’t like these collars?  I want to make SURE that everyone knows I NEVER recommend them!  After all, we are a “hands off” dog training system and nothing is more “hands on” than choke chains and prong collars!  So don’t send hate mail!! Read the rest of this entry »

That’s MINE! Refusing to Share with the Other Dogs in your Pack

A lot of people have dogs that don’t like to share with the other dogs in the household.  Do you have a bully at home?

I think being possessive, resource guarding, or just generally not wanting to share is pretty inherent both with animals and with people.  How often do kids get in trouble for not sharing?

Hoarding, guarding and being possessive of food items can mean the difference between life and death in the wild.  The problem is our dogs aren’t living in the wild.  But, they still may be resistant to the idea of sharing what they consider a high value item.

The first thing to do is to assess how adamant they are about keeping the item away from your other dogs and how aggressive they are willing to be to keep the item.

As always, I am a safety first kinda girl; if someone is going to die or get seriously injured this matter becomes so much more serious and has to be dealt with, with safety in mind.  So let’s discuss highly aggressive dogs first.

Seriously Aggressive Dogs

The first thing to consider is your comfort level.  Although ignoring the problem isn’t going to work in the long run, I certainly wouldn’t recommend giving them a pig’s ear or something equally yummy to assess the situation!

Aggressive dogs need to go on a leash and a gentle leader to give you better control and keep a fight or a bite from happening.  Being off leash is a privilege and if a dog is showing aggression he loses that right!

Next is to introduce a low level toy or treat.  Low level means the lowest level possible to illicit the smallest response.  A toy that the dog barely cares about or a mediocre treat; again do not give a high level treat like a pig’s ear, real baked cow bone, or your dog’s favorite toy this might start severe aggression or a fight.

Dogs that are seriously food aggressive when they are fed, should be fed in their crates to alleviate the problem and keep dogs from fighting.  Sometimes the introduction of the crate makes the aggressor feel safer and therefore lessens his aggressiveness.  In a crate, he knows he does not have to defend his food!

Some dogs are so aggressive they cannot be trusted with great chewies or treats when other dogs are around because they become dangerous; these dogs may need to be put in a kennel or outside alone with their prize.  Occasionally a program of desensitization with them wearing a muzzle (to keep everyone safe) can help.

Only you know your dog, do not push him past his limits into a dangerous zone a veterinary visit to have dogs stitched up after a fight simply isn’t worth it.

And, never try this if your dog is also showing possession aggression or resource guards toward you.  There are easier ways to teach your dog to share with you that limit your chances of being bitten!  A visit to the hospital is also not worth it!

Mildly Aggressive Dogs

I stand by the fact that any dog showing aggression should be placed on at least a leash but in most cases also a gentle leader.  Again this just gives you control.  Instead of worrying about a bloodletting like you would with a seriously aggressive resource guarder, a leash still allows you to pluck the dog up and get him out of the situation.

I don’t allow aggression at my house.  My dogs are barely allowed to stiffen their body postures to each other and give each other the stink eye when they have something they don’t want to share.  No growling, snarling, snapping, or biting is allowed.

The ONLY exception to this rule is if I get an “oh so confident” puppy that is pushing his limits with the older dogs that he should be respecting.  In this case I would put the puppy on a leash and teach him some manners by not allowing him to try and steal from his older step-siblings.

At the first sign of any naughtiness or resource guarding I take the offender by the leash and lead him into another room for a brief time out.  If he is adamant about defending his article, he may lose the privilege of having it at all!

He may be crated or put outside alone, but I would not push his buttons by taking the item away and then making him endure watching the other dogs eat their prize.  Likewise I would never take his treat and give it to another; this only proves his point that he needs to guard his things and is liable to make his aggression worse!

Essentially what the dog wants is the “chewy” and so be revoking the privilege of having it for showing signs of resource guarding he learns it is unacceptable to guard items.

The Hoarder

All of my dogs learn to play “musical bones” where one dog tricks another dog to drop his “more appealing” bone and then snatches it away; this is normal.  It seems my dogs always want ONE bone; ultimately not the one that they have but the one that someone else is totally engrossed in and enjoying.

I have often giggled to myself as I watch my oldest dog Nix trick the others by sending up the emergency flag and barking like someone is at the door.  When the other dogs drop their bones and go racing to the front door, Nix is able to pick the bone he prefers.  Time after time the younger ones fall for the same trick!

But, I do not allow one dog to hoard the other bones, they may evenly exchange them around amongst themselves but I don’t accept hoarding.  Some dogs like to gather all of the bones and lay on some while chewing on one.  This is not tolerable!  (Again do not get bit if your dog is showing aggression toward you there are other safer ways, do not push an aggressive dog).  I take the hoarders bones away and redistribute.

I also draw a line with the hoarder that waits until everyone else has consumed their treat and then runs around growling and flaunting the fact that they still have theirs.  This hoarder will lose his bone all together if he shows this behavior, because what he desires is confrontation not the joy of chewing!

You wouldn’t allow your child to hoard all the toys and never share, or threaten other children if they came near… why would you accept this nastiness from your dog?

A Trick to Keep the Crowd Happy?

I always distribute at least one more treat than there are dogs.  I have 3 dogs, so when I dole out rawhides I let each dog pick (from my doggy ruler down the line) and then I put out one more.  This helps with resource guarding because if someone steals someone else’s bone they don’t have to get close to or in the other dog’s face to get back a bone because there is always one laying around.  The other beauty of this model is that the most voracious chewer usually ends up with this bone when the others have had their fill so no one else really wants it!

When the resource is plentiful there is less of a chance your dogs will fight over it!

Dog allow your dog to be a bully!  It is not fair to your other dogs to have to feel like they live on pins and needles.  Aggression is never okay!  None of us wants to be bullied and I bet after a few sessions of losing the prize your dog will learn to control his impulses and resource guarding will be a thing of the past!

Help! My Dog Doesn’t Like to Share My Affections with My Other Dogs!

I have had a few questions lately from people who need help because one of their dogs does not like to share human time with the other dog/dogs in the home!   A lot of us have more than one companion dog or pet in our homes and it is all about finding a good balance between all of us.

I have 3 dogs and never seem to have less than two, which is just the way I like it!  And, sometimes there are some jealousy issues even in my home!

Some people would argue that dogs don’t have emotions much less complex emotions like jealousy, but having spent almost 20 years training animals I can attest to the fact that they have emotions and complex emotions. Read the rest of this entry »

Help for Dogs that Control Their Owners Relationships

Recently I was out dog training with a middle aged couple that had acquired a lovely, but wild Maltese/Terrier mix.  Admittedly she has many problems some of which include aggression towards the toilet (when it flushes) and vacuum and also the possessive guarding of her human “Mother”.

“Mom” is her main care giver.  She gets up in the morning feeds and waters her, takes her for walks, plays with and trains her.  Although there is an adult son that also lives in the home and her human “Dad” they mostly only interact with her when Mom is gone and they NEVER train with her.

She is definitely spoiled and gets almost everything she wants, from everyone.  When she demands that her humans pet her; they do.  When she wants to play ball, she initiates and insists someone throw it for her; non-compliance will be met with barking and an escalation from nipping to hurtful biting.  When she doesn’t want to be picked up, she flashes her teeth and is hastily left alone.  She has to be tricked to enter her crate when it is time for her owners to work.

Mom makes her listen and obey commands most of the time, but gives in to her “cuteness” and has trouble truly enforcing commands, but no one else even asks her to obey or adhere to any rules.

AND, “Dad” is not allowed to affectionately touch “Mom” in her presence without the threat of significant bodily harm and damage (thank goodness she is not a Rottweiler!). Read the rest of this entry »

Alpha Pack Theories Disproven!

The tide of dog training is changing.  The good news, is that it has been changing for most of us dog trainers for years, and although there is always a resurgence of negative training methods the science behind dog training is proving that the dog world has had it all wrong for years!

Problem #1: Theories were Based on Outdated Information

When dog training hit the mainstream a few years ago and got a lot of coverage on new series and TV moments, almost certainly the reason for a dog’s problems were linked to his “wolf heritage” and short term studies that were done on wolves in the 1940s.

Problem #2:  These Short Outdated Studies were performed on Captive Wolves

The problem with most of these studies that proclaimed to shed light on not only wolf behavior but also dog behavior was that they were done mostly with captive wolves. Read the rest of this entry »

Help! My Dog is Too Protective

Let’s be honest, one of the reason people get and like dogs is because they feel more confident and protected by them.  It has been proven that even the bark of a Chihuahua will drive away a burglar.  For most criminals it simply isn’t worth getting involved with someone with a dog.

When I was 18, a requirement of marriage was getting a Rottweiler.  I got 2!  My female Rottie was around 100# and was the sweetest, kindest, doggie soul you could ever meet.  She almost never met a person she didn’t immediately adore.  I use to laugh because if you simply placed a finger on her she was thrilled by the affection.

As I walked her to the park one day, a man jumped out from around a van.  I had NEVER seen her hackle or her show her teeth to a person before that moment and a growl resonated from within her belly.   I was just an 18 year old kid and definitely not a dog trainer yet.

He hastily scurried around his van entered through the passenger side scooted over and his wheels screeched as he tore out of sight. 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 »

What I Learned From Schutzhund Dog Training

Okay, so I have already admitted to the fact that I have been involved in different aspects of protection training for a good part of my career.  For those of you that didn’t read my previous article, please note that I only use positive reinforcement training and do not adhere to any barbaric practices or use of physical manipulation.

The truth is you don’t have to abusive techniques to enjoy protection sports.  The most important thing is to understand the liability involved in such sports.  The liability and inability for a lot people to control their dogs in many given situations is why I don’t regularly recommend these types of sports.  We live in a “sue happy” world and adding more liability is not needed for most people!

But all that is beside the point!  I want to share with you what I have specifically learned and think everyone can learn from Schutzhund training and practices.

A number of people hate the tracking that is involved in Schutzhund because they think it is tedious or hate getting up early to lay a track.  Personally, I understand their gripe.  I am not the earliest riser, nor do I like scuffing or plodding along in a field laying a track, marking my corners and then waiting for it to age the appropriate amount of time for the specific training level of whatever dog I am working. 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 »

My Cat is Alpha Dog of our Pack!

My cat rules the roost, I guess you would call that a “Roost Ruler”, I call her Alpha Dog!  I think, because she is the only cat in my house, she also thinks she is a dog.  She is markedly upset when she watches the dogs go outside, or when we leave on short vacations without her!

At night, all dogs sleep in my bedroom and she RACES into the bedroom and sits on the crate next to my side of the bed and waits for me.  I can’t shower alone, sometimes I have 3 dogs and a cat in the bathroom with me and if she is really lucky when I take a bath I let her sit out on the “island” that is me.  She sits on my legs and dips her tail and paws in the water and purrs with joy.  She is an integral part of our family and I love her (shhhhh I am kind of a secret cat person)!

She is a covert ninja and habitually jumps out from behind or beneath furniture to wreak havoc on my canine crew.  She flies through the air and instigates the “vader bomb” and other pro-wrestling maneuvers popping them in the face with her power paw and biting their legs and then running for the safety of her cat house. Read the rest of this entry »