Recognizing Your Dog’s Limits

I hate to admit it, but all dogs have limitations.  I would like to tell you that ALL dogs can do ALL things, but it’s just not true!!   Just like I will never be a professional dancer (I trip over my own feet sometimes…  often… ) some dogs just don’t have the genetics to do what we want them to.

Limitations come in all shapes and sizes, first there are the limitations that specific breeds bring.

All breeds of dog have been purposely bred for a purpose and most of them fit within a certain category.  The AKC has numerous categories that I usually use:   Herding, Working, Toy, Non- sporting, Hound, Terrier, and Sporting breeds.  Wikipedia breaks them down even further.

Certain breeds are bred for specific jobs: i.e. herding dogs have been bred to help farmers and ranchers herd their stock.  Their instincts for controlled chasing and herding have been modified and tailored to help farmers and ranchers.  Generalization due to breed is usually fairly acceptable and reliable; it would be difficult if not impossible to convince a Bassett Hound or a Chihuahua to safely herd a group of stock. It’s just not a reasonable expectation.

When looking for a dog it is superlative to do some research before you add a new dog as a member of your family!  Breed generalizations and their instincts will assist you in picking “your” perfect dog!

Just like there are breed specific limitations, sometimes there are individual limitations.  Not all Border Collies are capable of herding, not all Greyhounds want to race, and not all Sporting Dogs are capable of hunting.  I once worked with a Labrador Retriever that loved and performed fantastic protection work, but certainly not all Labs have a desire to do bite-work. Read the rest of this entry »

How to Pick a Shelter Dog

I have often been asked to share my secrets to picking a good adult dog from the shelter, especially since I have spent most of my career scouring shelters to find would-be Assistance Dogs for people with disabilities, and so I thought I would share some of my secrets because it is adopt a shelter dog month!  I have literally taken hundreds of dogs out of shelters!

I love adult dogs because I basically know that what I see is what I get.  Getting a puppy is a tossup as to what the pup will grow up to be size and personality, but with an adult you can already see what size and basically what temperament the dog has!

The first thing to realize is that we might all be searching for something a little bit different in a dog.  When I was looking for Assistance Dogs I was looking for a certain age, size and temperament.  Breed was not necessarily a concern and mixes were always welcome.  Mixed breeds are often more healthy structurally because they are not over bred like some of the more popular breeds of dog.  But I understand that some people will be looking for something breed specific or even mix specific.

Knowledge about the breed or the mixed breed you are looking at can help you determine things about their sociability, their likelihood to be good with other animals, exercise needs and other specific traits the breed was bred for.  This information can be helpful when looking to add a new family member to your pack!

It really doesn’t matter to me whether I was looking at a Pit Bull or a Chihuahua; I was looking for the same thing behaviorally and temperamentally.  I wanted a dog that would be a good, loving companion and a good working dog. Read the rest of this entry »

Effects Of Training In The Dog’s Brain

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The Baby Bunny Distraction; Working through Distractions in Dog Training

My dog’s obedience is nearly perfect!  I am a dog trainer after all!  When we head out to the training field in my back yard, she is astounding; in my mind I can hear the crowds cheer as she gazes up at me with pure adoration and excitement, immediately executing each command.

Remember when I admitted to being a little lazy when it came to my dogs lately?  Well that work I have been doing is totally paying off…

That is until I take her somewhere other than MY yard and MY training field.

Because I am usually working with other people’s dogs and running dog obedience classes, she doesn’t get much work with other dogs and distractions.

Some dog trainers want you to think they are perfect and they don’t deal with the same problems their clients have, I guess because they think that lessens their client’s respect for them.  But I am all about honesty and admittance and I am here to admit…we all do!  No one is perfect and we all have the same struggles.

So recently I have started training with another group of people; and let’s just say from the outward appearance of my dog’s struggles they might not even know I am a dog trainer.

It is as if my dogs become deaf when we hit that training field and they see other dogs.

They try to convince me they have never heard the word SIT and they will only heel if the vantage point of what everyone else is doing is conducive to the direction we are headed.  Otherwise it is like I have swivel bobble head dogs with ADHD.

Sometimes as I want to crumple up into a ball and blubber.   I think I can see them smirking or outright laughing (as long as their vantage point of what everyone else is doing is conducive to the direction I am crumpled into that ball; otherwise I just have a view of their furry butt cheeks).

But, in all honesty I expect it!  I have been a dog trainer long enough to know that my credentials don’t spare me from the humility only a dog can deliver.

Working through distractions has to be TAUGHT.  It does not matter how impeccable your training is if you can’t count on it in other environments or without a multitude of distractions; unless you will NEVER be taking your dog out of this particular environment.

So, although I KNOW my dog knows “Sit” I almost have to go back to square one, with patience (this is key) and TEACH her “Sit” again amongst distractions.

You see, dogs don’t think like we humans do.  Sit means sit no matter where you are to us people.  But in your little dog’s mind: “Sit” means “Sit in the backyard” or in the house.  They need to be taught in all types of environment in order to begin to generalize that Sit means Sit EVERYWHERE.

Backing up and retraining your dog in a number of environments will be faster, because your dog already has the foundation of knowing the basics command.   But, you must back up and be patient or this stage is liable to be frustrating for you both and take longer.  This is often the point that a person “gives up” on his dog because of the social humiliation and thinking the dog is being belligerent.

I have used this comparison before but I will use it again; it would be like taking a 6 or 7  year old child to the zoo and having them do Math or English homework.  Do they know how to do it?  YES, but is that environment conducive to LEARNING?  No.

Try to look at it from your dog’s point of view: they finally get some “social interaction” and you expect them to do something tedious and boring!

All you need to do is give yourself enough space in between people and other dogs and go back to learning and having fun!  You must be more exciting and FUN than the distractions that are going on for your dog to give up the distraction and enjoy working with you.  Eventually you can move closer and closer to the distractions and use the same principles.

Once you have conquered one new distraction or environment, it is time to add another environment or more distractions!

Move slowly, but by doing so with positive reinforcement and fun you are setting yourself up for that flawless, enviable obedience you so desire.

Cut Yourself a Break

We all struggle!  Even National Dog Obedience competitors have set this same basic foundation!

And, understand there are sometimes uncontrollable distractions; like baby bunnies.

When I was at training on Sunday, there were probably 4 of us on the field, all with dogs at different stages in their obedience.

I think I was in that crumpled ball sobbing or my dog was staring at me out of confusion because she barely noticed the baby bunnies as they emerged and scampered across the field.

Now, no one really trains for this scenario (unless you are training assistance or working dogs) but one of the dogs broke his stay.  He is about 2 and has good quality obedience but is still new and in the learning stages.

One of the obedience trainers chastised the owner, that her dog broke his stay and then that she wasn’t loud enough and he didn’t instantly come back.  But in all reality, that is ridiculous.  Even dogs at the highest level of titling and competition would likely brake to pursue a band of baby bunnies scuttled across the field.  I was just lucky.

Sometimes things happen that you just can’t control, whereas you can try to set up more and more difficult scenarios and train for many situations you must remember your dog is a DOG and he will make mistakes no matter how many titles he has or how flawless his obedience is otherwise!

Just do your best to add as many distractions as possible and train in as many places as possible and you will reap the rewards of a well trained dog!

When and What Corrections, If Any, Are Acceptable in Dog Training

Whisper the simple word “correction” in a crowded room full of dog trainers and you might just get flogged.  The word brings up visions of hitting, kicking and strangling dogs in the name of obedience.  What does correction mean?  Is it synonymous with change or punishment?   What does correction mean to you and your dog?

So, first I think we need to define “correction”.  I went to thefreedictionary.com to find more answers, and I came up with a couple of definitions which, indeed may have made things even more confusing or proved why there is so much drama surrounding this word.

1. Correction: something offered or substituted for a mistake or fault
2. Correction: punishment intended to rehabilitate or improve

When I then did a search for “dog training/corrections” thousands of sites 804,000 to be exact popped up, and most (although I didn’t have time to search them all   seemed to follow the “Punishment” mentality or definition whether they were pro or anti correction in dog training.

So it seems that this potential flogging at the mere mention of “corrections” in dog training is quite heated and spurned by the fact that in dog training, at least, corrections = punishment.

I may try to spawn a change in the definition and theory when it comes to our furry friends, as I agree with the positive reinforcement trainers that there is no real place in dog training for punishment but, dare I say it…there is room for correction. 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!

Adopting a Shelter Dog

October is adopt a dog month!  In honor of adopt a dog month I thought I would share some of my many experiences with shelter dogs and reasons to get out there and save a life this month!

Did you know that the Humane Society of the United States estimates that 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year?  I also found some very interesting statistics compiled by the NAIA (National Animal Interest Alliance) about the statistics of where our animals come from.

There is no doubt that there are too many dogs for the amount of good dog owners and homes that are looking for them.

One of the biggest misconceptions about adopting an adult dog from a shelter is that you are getting a dog with a problem.  Although this is sometimes true, it is often not the case.  I remember many years ago while working for a nonprofit organization that took dogs from shelters and trained them for people with disabilities we came across a gorgeous 2 year old Yellow Labrador Retriever Mix who was returned because “The owners got new carpet and the dog’s fur no longer matched”.  Really?  Really? Since when is fur color an acceptable reason for relinquishing a dog to a shelter?

Now I hear the naysayers whispering in my ear, “That was just an excuse, the dog undoubtedly had behavior problems”.  The answer was NO the dog made a lovely Service Dog.  But, I shudder to wonder what might have happened to him if we hadn’t come along?

Most of my career has been spent in shelters looking for dogs that would excel as working dogs, most often Service Dogs for the physically disabled.  I have taken and worked with hundreds of shelter dogs over the years. Read the rest of this entry »

When Is It Time to Seek Professional Dog Training Help with Aggression?

I have been a professional dog trainer for almost 20 years, and although I sincerely hate confessing to that because it ages me, it is also something that I am very proud of!  I have done many things in my vast career and I have seen even more things, admittedly good and bad.

Sometimes it is difficult to write blogs on dog training, especially dog aggression.  I have to assume a common medium in most of my writing, not only about the dogs but also about the dog owners.   Rarely are my articles geared to the most aggressive or the best behaved dogs because they are at the ends of the spectrum.  Usually I write articles that are geared for the owners and their dogs that are somewhere in the middle.

This article is for those dogs and their owners who are at the peak of the most aggressive end of the spectrum.  If you are afraid of your dog at times or his behaviors in any given situation, there is likely a good reason!  Never deny or refute the feelings of fear, if you do you are liable to end up in the emergency room seeking at the very least stitches and a tetanus shot.

It is difficult if not impossible to gage the aggression of someone’s dog by simply reading a post or hearing information.  The only true way to get a precise impression is to see it with your own eyes.  When I do in home training and behavior modification, I can’t give accurate information until I have met the dog and witnessed the behavior.

The aggression a dog shows can be as small and simple as raising their hackles, or snarling, or growling or it can be as frightening as showing all of the above listed behaviors with lunging and biting. Read the rest of this entry »

A Territorial Aggressive Dog Training Question; What Do You Think?

Recently I got a call from another dog trainer to take an appeal from a client that he had received.  I am always hesitant to take a client from another trainer that is “too busy”, as usually it means the client is overbearing or crazy or the dog is extreme or aggressive.

But, I am usually up for anything or… almost anything!  When I am not up for a challenge or I feel out foxed, I am not above referring to a veterinary behaviorist who can prescribe medication that may help.  Often even after a referral to a behaviorist, I am the follow up trainer.

So, I was tentative when I made the call since no real information had been supplied to me.

The Problem

The dog is extremely territorial when the owner leaves the home.  The real problem is that the owner leaves this dog that she knows is aggressive outside on invisible fencing.  When delivery people come to her property, they are met with barking and snarling and the threat of biting. If he is sleeping under a tree or inside (he has a doggy door) people don’t even see the dog until they are well within his boundaries. No one can see his boundaries because he is on an invisible buried fence.  Recently the dog bit a friend of hers that came onto her property while she was gone. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »