3. I will not punish my dog for behaviors that stem from fear.

I will not punish my dog for barking IF/WHEN my dog is barking because of he/she is afraid or frustrated.  I may have to do some investigating to determine if my dog is afraid or barking to demand something.

I will try and remember that aggression stems from fear.  This means that when my dog is behaving aggressively (barking, growling, lunging) the cause was something that upset/scared my dog.

I will NOT make my dog's fear worse by punishing behaviors that my dog is not in control of (flight/flight is a reflex).

I will consider that my dog is frustrated, upset or fearful and needs Classical Conditioning.

Every dog should learn to come when called; it's a matter of safety.  

It is often easier to teach a puppy to come when called than it is to teach an adult dog.  This is because a puppy is naturally responsive to happy sounding, high-pitched noises.  These noises can be used in conjunction with running backwards, crouching down, and patting the legs to help a puppy respond correctly after the recall command has been given.  To maintain this behavior a food or toy reward should be given to the puppy once they reach the person who called them.

Teaching the older dog to come when called is easy too.

Many of my clients have dogs that are older, or who have been recently adopted.  These dogs are often able to go off-leash on hikes, or to parks, beaches, and dog runs without running away or getting in trouble.  However, many of them will not (or only rarely) come when called.  Generally these clients have been getting by without recall, but would prefer to have better control of their dogs at the park.  For these clients and their dogs it is often unnecessary to follow standard management practices, such as having the dog drag a long leash.  The following exercises are often all that is needed to get started with teaching your dog to come when called. 

Recall Exercises for well-behaved, older dogs.

1) You can't get them to come when called if they can't even look at you when you say their name.  

Practice this on leash walks first.  Say your dog's name, then stop walking forward.  Stand still and remain calm.  Say nothing.  DO NOT REPEAT YOUR DOG'S NAME.  Wait and watch your dog.  As soon as your dog turns and looks at you (usually because they can't figure out why you are being so still and quiet) clearly mark your dog's behavior with a word that means you like what they did.  Then give them a tasty treat and continue walking forward.  Later, try this when your dog is off-leash and has little or no distractions.  Finally, try it with distractions.  If your dog doesn't look at you, simply walk away (no reprimand and no reward).

NOTES ON MARKING WHAT YOU LIKE

• When you mark things that your dog does that you like, use one word.

• Always use the same word.

• Pick a word that is special--something you don't use all the time.

• Use the marker word like a camera to catch exactly the moment of success.

• Always follow the marker word with a valuable reward (food, toy, access).

• When your dog has learned the behavior and is successful 95% of the time you can start giving rewards for only the best responses.  Continue to praise your dog for all correct responses, but use the marker word only if you intend to reward the dog with food, toys, or access to something they wanted.

2) The first rule of teaching a new behavior is to make sure that your dog can do it.  

After your dog is consistently offering the new behavior (sitting, coming, speaking) THEN you can call it something and reward your dog only when you command them to show a specific behavior.  To do this I have my clients GIVE their dog HUGE REWARDS for Auto Check-Ins.  

When rewarding your dog for AUTO CHECK-INS you will NOT CALL your dog.

• Wait for your dog to be willing come to you--even if they are only 10 feet close.

• With your best happy voice PRAISE YOUR DOG LIKE MAD!

• THEN give your dog a fantastic reward--something TRULY YUMMY!!!!

• Now walk away.

• Watch your dog closely.  Try to guess when your dog is going to come to check-in and get a treat.

• When you are 90% accurate on guessing when your dog is about to come to you, then start calling your dog right before they are about to check-in.

• Then stop feeding your dog for auto check-ins and only feed your dog when you call them.
  

Separation anxiety seems to have made the BUZZ WORD Top Ten List.  I've had numerous clients call and report that they need help treating their dog's separation anxiety. Recently, several of these clients have had puppies that are between the ages of 10-14 weeks of age.  When questioned it becomes apparent that what the owners/guardians are concerned about is that their dogs have separation anxiety disorder.  

I do NOT believe in diagnosing puppies with separation anxiety.  Sep-Anx./separation anxiety is a diagnosis of a abnormal behavior or disorder.  Many behaviors that appear in dogs with separation anxiety can also occur in dogs with no anxiety.  In other words, just because your dog or puppy barks when you leave does NOT mean they have separation anxiety.

Puppies that bark and whine when left alone are displaying NORMAL, AGE-APPROPRIATE behaviors.  Treating a puppy's normal separation distress with the protocol for separation anxiety disorder may not be wrong, nor will it likely make the problem worse, but it does waste valuable time, energy, and resources.

In canine literature, descriptions and treatments for separation anxiety are often given by trainers, behaviorists, and veterinarians.  What is often laking in these articles is basic information regarding the difference between NORMAL, AGE APPROPRIATE separation anxiety and the ABNORMAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION known as separation anxiety disorder.  Interestingly, this is a developmental stage with similarities to human development.

Barking and whining are normal behaviors for young puppies separated from others in their litter or family.  Furthermore, it is very easy to teach a puppy or dog that barking is the fastest and easiest way to get something--namely people to come back into the room, or to free them from a confinement area or crate.  This does not mean that barking is not annoying, or that it must be tolerated.

ALL puppies must learn how to be alone.  This is often an uncomfortable lesson to learn and teach as the puppies have to go through the unfamiliar task of being alone.  Puppies that do NOT EXPERIENCE BEING ALONE are the dogs that will later develop separation anxiety disorder.  In general I use the crate to teach puppies how to be alone.  

It is important to allow the puppy to fully EXPERIENCE being alone safely and successfully and to LEARN that whining/howling/barking DOES NOT bring people back.  To do this some careful planning helps.

First, make sure you have a cozy, puppy-appropriate crate prepared.

Second, make sure your puppy is hungry (skip a meal, it won't kill them).

Third, make sure your puppy is well-exercised.

If your puppy is hungry and has played vigorously they are also likely to have recently pooped and peed.

Now, prepare a tasty kong and coax or place* your puppy in the crate with the kong.

Shut the door and place a blanket over at least three sides of the crate.

Then LEAVE.

Yup, that's it.  Your pup might bark, howl, or complain for up to 20 or 30 minutes, but they will eventually fall asleep.  After 10-15 minutes of silence, wake your pup up and let them out.  Repeat this 3-4 times a day.  Keep a daily log of how long your dog tries making noise to get out.  It will continue to drop until your dog no longer complains.  

Alone-Time Training is VERY, VERY important for ALL puppies.  Alone-Time Training is separation anxiety disorder Prevention!

* With young puppies (less then 3 months of age) you can gently nudge your pup into the crate.  If you want, you can also plan ahead and teach your pup to go into the crate for a cookie.  With adult dogs, or dogs older than 3 months of age (dogs no longer in the socialization period), DO NOT FORCE crate entry, go slow.

Or do they?

Anxiety causes people to sweat.  It makes your dog sweat too.  However, dogs sweat through the pads of their paws. 

Many dogs bark when their owners are gone. 

It could be that their are barking in response to things they see or hear (people or dogs passing by the house). 

Or, they might be barking because they are bored, underexercised, understimulated (lacking toys, chews, companionship. 

Or, they could be having a real anxiety attack. 

Yes.  Dogs can also have anxiety disorders.  The name for the disorder in dogs is called Canine Separation Anxiety. 

If you are not sure why your dog is barking when you are gone.  Try leaving them on a light-colored tile floor (or similar surface).  When you return look for sweaty paw marks on the ground.  If you see lots of sweaty paw marks, especially near the door, or near a wondow you dog was likely pacing and feeling more than sad.  Seaparation Anxiety is PANIC!  To cure a dog of this affliction you will need help from a behaviorist or certified trainer.

Pet Products Review - Yummy Chummies Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil by Arctic Paws

When you have a long haired dog like my Sheltie Champ, one prides themselves on keeping the dog's coat luxurious, soft and flowing.  I know, it sounds like something out of the movie Zohan.  But seriously, a luxurious coat of hair is your dog's unspoken way of showing his health and vitality. With that I'm always on the search for products that will naturally deliver these benefits.

When the people at Artic Paws sent me a large 8oz bottle sample of Yummy Chummies Wild Alaska Salmon Oil, I couldn't wait to try it.  Personnally I supplement my diet with Omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil, so it must be good for my dog too.  I've have seen some Salmon Oil products mostly in the holistic neighborhood pet stores.  But their packaging gave the product a medicinal appeal.  Yummy Chummies has colorful, drip proof packaging and a nice American flag on the label. Now Yummy Chummies.

The Yummy Chummies label claims the oil enhances palatability of dog food, promotes healthy skin, coat and heart, and benefits cardiovascular funchtion, join maintenance and mobility.  Let me tell you, this stuff works!  In the 5 weeks that I've been supplementing Champ's food with Yummy Chummies, his hair is luxuriously soft and has a great bounce, much like Sarah Palin's; and its really thick too. Its as if he's been preparing for the great Iditarod sled race.  What I didn't expect is how pleasantly I see less pet dander and less clumps of hair around my house.  Also, I notice that when Champ sleeps its a deeper more peaceful sleep than before. 

Now I can not say it enhances the taste of the food because Champ has expressed his displeasure in the oil's aroma.  But, mixing Yummy Chummies in with wet food or even occassionally with people food solves that problem.  Because Champ is only 30 lbs, he only needs two pumps. The pump makes prevents over-feeding and is economizes the $9.98 - $12 cost over many months. 

Again, I really liked Yummy Chummies Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil and hope you check out their website www.yummychummies.com for more information or to purchase.

If you've got a product that you think will pass the Secret Shopper Test, send an email to secretshopperblog@gmail.com.