Teach your dog to TAKE-A-BOW!

Many of my clients dogs have a hard time playing with and interacting with other dogs.  These dogs often play well with well-known, "buddy-dogs" and demonstrates good play-skills in comfortable situations, but do poorly with new dogs or in new places.  

With work the dog can learn to meet and greet the novel dogs without being inappropriate, but there is often no play.  In these cases the dog-in-training often starts getting jumped by the other dogs (in a not so friendly way).  This happens after the Meet-&-Greet, because the dog-in-training sniffs a hello and then just stands there stiffly.  This is awkward and invites aggressiion -a sort of preemptive strike against the dog who is standing stiffly and giving everyone the willies.

In these cases teaching a PLAY-BOW can bridge the gap between meeting and becoming friends.  It gives the dog-in-training something to do (besides standing awkwardly).  Furthermore, despite its trained-awkwardness it gives the other dogs something to do too -they can respond with more playfulness.

How To Teach A Play-Bow

Dog is standing...

1. Take a small treat and place it on your dogs nose.

2. Let your dog smell and lick at the treat, but don't let them eat it.

3. Slowly, very SLOWLY move the treat from your dog's nose in a straight-line down to the floor (right between your dogs front paws).

4. If your dog bends her elbows (even a little) while her tail-end is still in the air (not a down), praise and treat your dog.

If your dog's bottom flops to the ground, pull the treat away, stand-up and move away form your dog.  Wait until your dog is standing to begin again.

5. Keep doing this for 5 or 10 minutes everyday until your dog easily goes into the position shown above.

NOW ADD THE COMMAND

a. Call it something cute!  I like:  "Go play" or "New Friend"

b. Say this new phrase or the word, BOW

c. Then pause.... wait 10-15 seconds.

d. Now give your dog a HINT:  lure the trick.

If your dog does it, praise and treat your dog.

e. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

f. When your dog finally does this after the command and BEFORE the hint, JACKPOT your dog with 7 or 8 treats all at once!

g. Repeat some more.

h. Take it on the road; try it outside with no dogs around.  

Don't be surprised if your dog needs a review in new places or once dogs are around.

Include a picture of YOUR DOG'S PLAY-BOW.

Comment below & send the pic to:  kelley@dogEvolve.com

Nicole's dog CLOVER

READER QUESTION

My granddog is a boxer female 26 months old. In the mornings when I try to get her to go outside she snaps and growls at me. Can a dog sleep with a muzzle on? If they can is the my best plan of attack or put her back in her cage. Sincerely KB Houston TX

Dear KB,

Of course your dog could sleep with a muzzle on, but I wouldn't recommend it.  I almost always reserve muzzles for dogs that BITE.  Snapping & growling are warning behaviors  -it is not to late to fix this problem.  Both you and your dog deserve to sleep and wake-up in harmony.  

It sounds as if your Boxer is a Bed Guarder. On the Guarding Scale (1-10) your dog is a light-weight.  She only guards the bed, after having been there all night.  Heavy-Duty Guarders will claim it as theirs (growl/snap/snarl) as soon as they lay down.

I'm not excusing the behavior, but I do understand it.  I am a deep sleeper and DO NOT like waking up.  I hate waking; I routinely abuse my alarm clock in the morning.  The best days start with someone brining me coffee in bed!  

Coffee MAKES me happy; coffee is NOT contingent upon my BEING happy :)  As you read the following keep this in mind --The coffee I get in the morning is NOT a reward for waking up in a good mood.  The coffee is a nice way to prevent me from being cranky.

By contrast, punishments for 'grumpy morning behavior' will not work.  Think about it.  If you already hate waking up to leave your warm, cozy bed your attitude will not likely improve if you get in trouble for not being a morning person.

WARNING:  

Punishments: yelling, hitting, squirting, dragging, pinning, rolling, etc WILL MAKE CERTAIN BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS WORSE.  In this case, the dog already hates leaving the bed in the morning.  She is NOT is her right mind --me before coffee (cranky!)  Punishments for cranky morning behavior will make your dog have an even bigger negative (yucky) association with waking up.

Try this instead...

1. Before you wake your dog, go to the fridge.  

2. Get something tasty (some cheese or a hotdog).  

3. Approach your dog, but stop before you are so close that she will yell at you.  

4. Then, say something in a sweat voice: "Morning Girl -Rise & Shine."  The phrase can be whatever you like saying and can say nicely. 

5. Then toss a treat, right to her.  Toss it on the bed, or even bounce it off her head.

DO NOT WORRY IF SHE BARKS OR GROWLS -Remember she is NOT a morning dog.  She doesn't mean anything by it, she's just grumpy.

6. If she eats the treat, toss another and then toss the rest on the ground.  

7. As soon as she is on the floor call her to the door and give her once last treat.

Please see the following ARTICLES for more information.

Dog Faces: Reading Body Language

Muzzles -When & How Should They Be Used?

Muzzles --Is Aggression The Only Use?

Everyday I play the same game with my Houndy-mix Eddie.  I give him a rawhide and he buries it in the yard.  He spends a few good hours being paranoid about it -rushing to the back garden at the slightest sound; leaping to his feet if the other dogs go outside; and finally not-so-cleverly giving away the secret location.  When its time to collect the bone I move around the yard and watch Eddie's face. I can tell by the paranoid look in his eye when I am getting warm... getting warm... RED-HOT!  Then, I collect the rawhide and store it for the next day.

 Today's "Secret" Location

Why do dogs bury things?

There appears to be no answer.  Don't get me wrong, there is a good deal of conjecture and lots of opinions, but no real scientific answers.  The common theories seem to be that dogs are:

1.  Saving snacks for later

2.  Hiding food from other hunters

Whatever the reason, some dogs are compelled to bury their stuff.  From a behavioral perspective the "WHY" is only one part of the mystery.  The "HOW" is equally as interesting.  The burying of bones (and other stuff) is a Fixed-Action-Pattern.  This means that all dogs follow the same basic recipe and that they don't need to learn the ropes from any other dog -it comes pre-installed as a complete behavior.

Scratch with paws...

Push with nose...

Scrape with muzzle...

Push with nose...

Scrape with muzzle...

There are variations for sure, but the basic building blocks are performed the same way by the tiniest lapdogs and the biggest hounds.  

So, why do dog's bury bones?  

Because their genes tell them to; because long ago dogs that buried stuff had some kind of advantage over those that didn't and they survived and produced more dogs that buried stuff.

How serious is it when a dog fights?

Most dog fights are minor spats -I consider them playground scuffles.  There's a lot of noise and a lot of commotion, but when the fight is interrupted, the dogs go their separate ways, shake-off the fight and resume playing as normal.  However if your dog is consistently getting in fights you should contact a certified trainer or behaviorist so that the problem can be diagnosed and a behavior modification plan can be implemented.  

The usual Cause-Of-Fight Suspects are:

1.  The dog is uninterested/uncomfortable with other dogs.  Dogs like this can appear to do fine at a park, but rarely seek out other dogs for play.  they tend to go about doing their own things (sniffing, playing with a toy, or walking by themselves or with their people).  Fights erupt when other dogs try to engage the loner-dog in play, try to sniff the unsocial dog, or inadvertently invade the sensitive dog's personal space.

2. The dog loves playing with other dogs, but gets carried away and the play tips into a fight.  This is common with rough-players like young Labradors, Boxers, Bulldogs, Staffordshire Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers and Ridgebacks (individual dogs of any breed can enjoy rough play, this list is not complete by any means).  Dogs that like rough play often don't take play-breaks to sniff or change roles (chaser vs. chasee) they simply keep mouth-wrestling until one or both dogs are unsure about the status of the game:  Real or play?

3. The dog gets along fine with known dogs and often plays well within that social group, but guards resources from unknown dogs.  Resources are anything the dog feels are valuable.  Some dogs guard toys, some dogs guard their playmates and some dogs guard people, food and locations (the park bench).

More on Playful Body Language >>>click here.

More on Guarding >>>click here.

Whether your dog fights a lot, or has only been in one fight...

The seriousness boils down to ONE KEY QUESTION:

How much damage did your dog do to the other dog?

Dogs have what trainers, behaviorists and veterinarians call Bite Inhibition.  This refers to the amount of tooth/jaw force used by a dog when they fight or defend.  Bite Inhibition is learned when the dog is a puppy.  At about 3-4 months of age, a dog's socialization window closes and the dog will have established their Bite Inhibition.  Puppy classes include puppy-to-puppy playtime to increase the practice time puppies have and improve their Bite Inhibition skills.

Dogs with Poor Bite Inhibition (sometimes called a Hard Mouth/Bad Mouth) use greater force than is needed and cause damage:  punctures & tears.

Dogs with Good Bite Inhibition (Soft Mouth/Good Mouth) limit the force that they could use and do little to no damage when they bite:  yelp, brusie, scrape.

More on Bite Inhibition (appropriate corrections in play) >>>click here.

What it means...

Bite Inhibition cannot be re-learned, trained, or punished out.  A dog that fights vary rarely, but who causes serious damage (veterinary care and sutures required) is far more dangerous than a dog that fights all the time, but never leaves a mark.

If your dog has seriously injured another dog, the prognosis for rehabilitating the dog's Bite Inhibition is poor.  Dogs that cause damage, even if they fight rarely, should be muzzled at the dog park.  Exceptions are rare and I limit them to ear-tears.  Ears are thin, tear easily and bleed profusely.  But exceptions are rare and this decision is left best to training professionals.

So if you have a dog that has injured another dog in a fight, the dog should always wear a MUZZLE. There are many, perfectly happy, muzzled dogs.  It beats never getting out to play, paying large vet bills, or going to dog court!

NOTE:  A Muzzle is NOT a replacement for TRAINING.  

Dogs that fight need help from a certified trainer! 

An Un-Happy Celebration

My poor hound-mutt, Eddie (short for Edward J. Snuggle-Bottom Pants-Man, III) is already having a terrible 4th of July weekend.  To be fair, Eddie is an extreme case; he's a rescue and x-rays have confirmed that he was shot several times.  The bullets are buried deep in his backside, but his fragile mental state is plainly obvious.

Like many fears Eddie's "consistent concern" with noises has grown to include any loud noises.  A big gust of wind is enough to put him on high alert, but fireworks are the worst and I pay special attention to Eddie each year as the Fourth of July nears.

The climate of San Francisco is virtually thunder-storm free, but if it were not I would likely consult with Eddie's veterinarian and begin the process of finding him the right anti-anxiety medication.  As it is, the incidents are fairly isolated and we have gotten by with the following routine:

Like many sound-phobic dogs Eddie is prone to pacing.  While confinement can exacerbate the panic response (they feel stuck), many dogs do well having access to a small den in a dark room.  Eddie does best when confined to the back of the house in a small room with little light and his crate open and available to him.  Some dogs also enjoy a small fan or a radio.

In the days leading up to the Fourth of July there are often single firecrackers that go off.  For each of these Eddie gets a huge surprise delivery of broiled chicken (about 1/2 cup of 1" pieces).  In fact I often don't feed him much in the days preceding the 4th except his a light kong (his usual meal stuffed into a rubber toy and frozen) and the "Noisy-Snacks!"   Eddie gets these "room-service" style, meaning: he doesn't have to do anything for them, I bring them to him.  

While it is tempting to hold, pet and sooth my terrified dog with sweet words, this has never helped.  In fact it actually seems to make things worse.  So I must put aside my urge to comfort as a human being and just do my best to make him believe that noises bring snacks.  Incidentally these "Noisy-Snacks" are special to this time of year and that seems to really help.  As does getting an early start.

In preparation for the big celebration, Eddie fasts all day (with the exception of a few pieces of chicken for the early booms, whizzes and pops).  that evening I usually give Eddie a nice big frozen Kong stuffed with rice and hamburger and cheese and small chunks of pig's ears.  This is all carefully layered into Eddie's Extra-Large Kong and frozen that morning.  At the first pop that evening I deliver Eddie his Kong into the crate and turn on some music -(Eddie likes Johnny Cash & Patsy Cline).  I deliver additional Noisy-Snacks for outstanding sounds, but otherwise I leave Eddie alone.

He usually has some soft stool the next day (either from the stress of the food, I'm not sure) and is on-edge for about a week.  Still that's a small price to pay.  If your dog panics because of loud noises, please plan to spend some time to make arrangements to help them cope with the fireworks.  Take special care to make sure they are safe indoors.  Too many dogs are hurt and injured each year when they panic and try to escape the scary storm of booming, popping, whizzing noises.  In particularly bad cases, anti-anxiety medication can usually be prescribed by your veterinarian.

HOPEFUL FOR A HAPPY FOURTH