Even A Well-Behaved Dog Is A DOG!

Dogs need to do Dog-Things.  Puppies, like children need to do everything and they have short attention spans.  

A common behavior concern is chewing!  Punishing a dog for being a dog is a sure way to ruin your relationship with your new pup.  Dogs need to chew.  They should not be punished for being dogs.

Puppies and inexperienced dogs see the whole world is an unexplored chew toy.  There are endless places to find new chews and hundreds of ways to sneak a chew.  If your dog isn't getting the chew-fun she needs from her toys, your dog will find something new to chew.  

My clients are constantly frustrated and overwhelmed when they focus all their energy on catching their dog chewing forbidden items (table legs, tissue, clothes, remote controls, etc...)  Make your life easier; make your puppies day.  Put most of your energy into creating chew options, not just limiting them.  Make toys and chew puzzles fun and exciting for your dog.  

Then watch your dog!  I spend countless hours just watching my dogs enjoy their chew-time.  Their chewing pleasure is a site to behold.  You too can learn to marvel at their canine abilities to chew, nibble, rip and dissect.  

Just pick the items they chew on for them and make them worth their while so they won't want to waste time experimenting for better options.  Then take some time to appreciate what they liked most, what they were good at chewing and how they can lull themselves into a near meditative state on the perfect chew.

Your dog is NOT being naughty...

On purpose,

To get back at you,

Or, because they are trying to dominate you!

Your dog's behavior is not malicious.  

Behavior is a result of past CONSEQUENCES & current MOTIVATIONS.  

Chances are they...

a) Really DON'T know better.

• They are acting on instinct (dogs bark, whine and chase things).
  

• They are doing what feels best to them (peeing and pooping feels better than holding it).
  

• They are repeating something that has worked before (checking the counter for more toast).

   

b) Just don't care.

• There is no yucky consequences (peeing on rug = relief).
  

• The consequence is late or seems unconnected (yell at dog for chewing couch sometime while you were gone).
  

• The consequence is actually rewarding the behavior (pushing a dog down for jumping up = touch/attention).
  

• Something else is more compelling/appealing at the moment (pulling towards the next great smell is worth the choking sensation).

  
  

Things to think about...

Have you ever done something even though you "knew better?"

Have you ever performed poorly at something you "know how to do?"

Have you ever made a bad meal or burnt dinner?

Did you do it to "get back" at someone or as revenge, or was it just the way things went?

Did everyone notice how "in charge" you were of their food enjoyment and "feel subordinate" to you?

Have you ever missed a payment or fogotten something important?

Was it to "make a statement" about something, or prove your power?

Did you do it "on purpose" even though you "knew better" and had done it right before?

Do you know better than to call in sick when your friend is visiting?  

What is your motivation?  

What is the consequence? 

Are you a "good" driver?

Have you ever sped?

Why, it is "wrong" isn't it?

Have you ever been "sneaky" about when/where you speed?  Why?

kdlanning 
Murrieta, CA

FEBRUARY 26, 2009, 4:52 PM

How do you resolve separation anxiety with a 6 month old puppy? We've left her alone at the house a couple of times and she's torn up the area that we left her at. Thanks.

Dear Six-Months & SepAnxie,

It is unclear from the information that you have given me whether your pup has the disorder called Separation Anxiety or whether you have a very normal, rascally pup who just got bored or frustrated when left alone.  Is that her picture?  She looks very cute.  For both your sakes, I  hope your pup is just a rascal; Separation Anxiety is not easy to fix and rarely gets better without professional help.  

I am a little concerned that she is already 6-months old and has not been left alone more than a few times.  Did you just adopted her?  Are you taking her to work or doggie daycare?  Is someone almost always at home?  Or, have you avoided leaving her alone because of the mess she makes?  

Always staying with or taking along your pup may seem "better."  However, puppies who are not crate/confinement-trained and/or left alone before 3-4 months of age are more likely to vocalize excessively and behave destructively when left alone later in life.  It is not too late to teach her to be alone, but it might take some patience & dedicated training.  Again that she is 6-month and making a mess does not mean she has Separation Anxiety Disorder, she may just be a normal, messy pup.  Even if she does not like being left alone, there is hope.  I hope the post below can guide you.  

Thanks for inquiring,

Kelley

IS YOUR PUPPY PITCHING-A-FIT WHEN LEFT ALONE?

For many owners/guardians it is hard to gauge a "normal" amount of puppy barking, whining, flailing.  This is increasingly hard when one is trying to accomplish crate/confinement-training.  Depending on the dog, it can seem like your puppy is suffering horrifically when you leave her alone.  While it often sounds awful, there is a good degree of hyped up hysterics that can just be ignored.  This is easy for trainers and other dog professionals, but hard for new puppy parents who are justifiably protective of their new pup.

Puppies come pre-programmed with a highly-successful attention-seeking behavior: bark, howl, cry, whine.  When this doesn't work, (because you ignore their barking (look away, stay away, or stop talking, looking or petting) they throw a puppy-temper-tantrum.  This can look and sound downright scary, so it is understandable why owners panic and grope for information about what is happening.  However jumping to a diagnosis of Separation Anxiety for a pup that barks is like determining that someone who ate dinner and then threw up is bulimic.  Let's rule out normal puppy tantrum and learned barking (flu or food poisoning) first. 

Pups can learn that barking gets stuff -AND they learn it quickly at a very young age.  The truth is that most pups who bark, whine, howl, and yip when left alone are just being normal pups.  When they are born pups learn that whining, whimpering and yowling gets them food, relief and warmth.  Later when the pup moves in with people, it must learn that barking does not work.  Ignoring the noise is the only way to teach your pup that barking does NOT work.  

Punishing a pup for barking is a mistake, it will ruin your relationship, and possibly make the dog aggressive.  Or, the dog will learn to bark when no one can get there to deliver a punishment, but will bark freely when you are not around.  It is hard to ignore a barking dog.  Here are some tips.  IGNORE means:  Do not look at, talk to, touch or go towards your pup.  

Do not return to or let your pup out until the pup has completely given up making noise & settles into doing something else, like laying down, chewing, or eating.  When it is time to let your pup out again, praise your pup clearly from outside the room.  Then, go get your puppy.  In this version, once you praise the pup, they get out -even if they make noise once you enter the room.  Use the same phrase each time you praise your dog.  Here is a harder, tough-love version.  Enter the room, leave immediately if your pup starts to make noise again (don't choose this version if your pup has been in there a long time and is ready for a potty-break).

Puppies are messy!  Pups that chew, shred, smear, and gnaw on this are also normal.   There is no fancy label for their behavior, they are just young.  They can, and will make a mess especially if left alone for long periods of time (more than 2-3 hours).  It is not unusual for pups to chew on paper, shred wee-pads, or smear their pee & poop around.  They don't do it on purpose -it just happens to be there when they are romping around and making up their own games.  

There are things you can do to minimize messes.  Unless your pup has caused serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or worse themselves, they are a normal pup.  Most messes are NOT done in a panic, but that instead the results of a darn good solo-puppy-party!  However, if your dog has done serious damage to a door, window, gate, crate or bloodied their paws or face, then you may have a dog with Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Understanding & DEALING WITH NORMAL PUPPY BARKING

Barking can be done anywhere and so it is the most difficult to manage.  There are many things you can do to channel your pups play-energy into appropriate places.  Exercise, play fetch and tug, Kong-feeding, chew-toys, puppy-proofing, gating, and crating all help minimize and contain a mess.  More importantly a tired pup is a quiet pup.

Confining and/or crating a pup is important and should be done despite the fact that your pup might rather not be away from you.  Toddlers that fuss when put in a car seat do not get to ride on your lap simply because they want to be there.  Eventually kids stop fussing about car seats and seat belts because it fails to work.  However temper tantrums are aweful -they are more than complaints; they are last ditch efforts to get something, or get out of something.  Puppy barking can be very loud if the pup is frustrated.  This can happen when they are learning that what used to work, crying for food, milk, warmth, companionship, is no longer an acceptable way to ask for things (that worked with dog-mom, but not people-parents).  

IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, DO YOU STILL HAVE TO CRATE/CONFINEMENT-TRAIN YOUR PUPPY?

Yes.  Imagine if you boarded a plane and the person next to you just started sobbing, them screaming and rolling on the ground.  When a baby cries it is annoying, but acceptable age-appropriate behavior.  For an adult to do this instead of asking for a blanket or beverage is abnormal.  The times in your life at which you learned that screaming and crying would not get you things was probably stressful and frustrating for you and your parents.  Crate/confinement-training is not easy, but it is necessary for a well-adjusted dog.

Now that you understand WHY your puppy is barking...

You can TEACH YOUR PUPPY TO BE ALONE!

If you have never left your puppy alone it is important to do everything that you can to set them up for success.

Puppies should have an area that is safe and can be gated-off. If you have a jumper, try stacking two gates. I prefer this to shutting a door. Door need to be opened to see what is happening, and they can be scratched. If you aren't sure... start by stacking two gates so that any jumping attempts will fail.

This area should be easy-to-clean, in case your pup has an accident. Tile and linoleum floor are best. Cement is porous and will absorb odors unless protected with a sealant. The puppy confinement area should be safe. Remove any items of value and anything your pup might chew or make a mess with such as plants, books, baskets, clothing, cleaning items etc...

This area should have a crate. The door can be left open and a comfortable bed can be inside the crate. There should be some water in a spill-proof bowl. You don't want to have to go back because they barked, jumped and knocked over the water. This will give your dog the idea that barking & spilling = mommy and daddy come back.

Try putting your puppy in this area when she is:

EXHAUSTED! Think a 3-hour walk or hike, a doggie-play session at the beach, an afternoon with the kids from the neighborhood.

HUNGRY! I encourage you to skip or go light on a meal or two. It won't hurt the pup if they miss a lunch meal just once.

You should be:

RESTED! Don't do this when you are tired, cranky or short on patience.

READY FOR SOME NOISE! Earphones, movie, music, home-workout.

NOT GOING ANYWHERE! Don't actually leave during or after the first time you do this.

THE PLAN FOR PUPPIES FIRST SUCCESSFUL ALONE-TIME.

1. Skip breakfast, but prepare a really tasty Kong and put it in the fridge.
   
2. Check that the confinement area is fully prepared and puppy-proofed.
   
3. Take your puppy out for a really, really long hike, play session, walk or combination of all of this.
   
4. Bring the pup back home (don't let this be a long nappy car trip (this will undo the exercise).
   
5. Take your pup to their potty area and allow them time to take care of business.
   
6. Go to the kitchen and get the Kong and a few chew items.
   
7. Put the puppy in the confinement area and give them the Kong. Secure the gate (stacking if necessary).
   
8. Walk away and out of the room -IGNORE what you hear.
   
9. Wait until the puppy is quiet for at least 10-15 minutes, then listen (without disturbing).
   

Does it sound like the pup is asleep? Eating from the Kong? Chewing? Congratulations. Now just let your pup out BEFORE they start to cry again.

Feed your pup like this everyday.  Soon they will need only normal amounts of exercise and you can start putting their regular food in the kong with less and less of the really amazing treats.

Do You Have A Training Question For Kelley? Click Here.