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.
A well adjusted puppy is enthusiastic about playing.
They are young, rambunctious and sometimes over-eager to engage other dogs in play. While it is not wrong to ask another dog to play, trouble can arise when they don't notice that the other dog is not interested in playing.
Young, playful pups are often too young to have learned how to read the intention-signals of other dogs, they sometimes get corrected.
Corrections from an older dog can be a learning experience, but owners need to protect their pups from getting harsh corrections. To minimize the risk to your pup make sure that they have LOTS and lots of playtime with puppies their own age.
Puppy classes are a great place to have your pup play with other puppies.
A good puppy class will be filled with ONLY other puppies of a similar age. Puppy play-time will cushion your pup's bank of experiences. Puppy-to-puppy play will likely be appropriate and fun and pad your pup from associating play with bad things (older, un-playful dogs). Lots of puppy-play will help your puppy associate an eventual correction with their actions or the other dog's body language.
When playing with older dogs, a correction is likely.
The older dog should have EXCELLENT play-skills and give LOTS of warnings to the puppy. When the older dog has finally had it and corrects the pup it should be a fast and timely correction. The puppy will likely yelp and it will be over. The older dog should not pin the puppy or keep fighting. There should be NO harm and the pup should shake it off quickly and be back to his/her bouncy self.
A PUPPIES ERROR IN JUDGEMENT
Meet the dogs...
The FOCUSED, OLDER DOG is played by K-9 ANGUS, FEMA Certified Search & Rescue Dog, CA Task Force 3
see videos of Angus @ work -CLICK HERE
The PLAYFUL & OVERENTHUSIASTIC PUPPY is played by JUPITER, 4 month old, male beagle
Opening Act: A polite invitation to play.
Act -II: Stop ignoring me. Don't you want to play?
Act -III: You can't resist me; I'm right here!
Act -IV: Knock it off pup!
Act V: Pleeeese, play with me.
Final Act: Too-bad, puppy; I warned you.
Second Show: Hey, who are you?
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.
Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks?
I am often asked, "Is it too late to train my dog?"
99.9% of the time the answer is "NO, It is never too late to work on training!"
While I am only too happy to make exceptions for dogs who are physically limited (blindness, deafness, incontinence, etc...) I am generally NOT inclined to excuse bad behavior on the basis of age.
This is not to say that old HABITS won't be more difficult to change.
But, for the most part: Training a dog, is training a dog.
There are 3 basic parts.
1) Establishing a GOAL.
2) Breaking your goal into SMALL STEPS that your dog can achieve.
3) Providing encouragement, support and REINFORCING SUCCESS.
However, it can be difficult to focus on training new behaviors when you are busy dealing with the results of older, more annoying behaviors.
A common mistake is to put energy into the wrong end of the behavior equation. My clients are often too focused on "the best way to punish their dogs bad behavior." In their zest for finding the perfect punisher (squirt, pinch, roll, choke, pin, rub, shock, squeeze) the miss the point completely.
I read that I should ...
Somebody told me to ...
I heard that dogs need ...
I was thinking I would try ...
My neighbor used a ...
Focusing on "what to do when your dog messes up" is a terrible plan! Imagine if airline safety focussed 90% of their energy on what to do when the planes crash.
This is not to say that I don't punish bad behavior. The only way to reduce any behavior is to punish it, but punishments are tricky to do well. Most dog owners dole out punishments that are late or too harsh. Or, they don't even punish the dog they just nag it or say something and follow that with no consequences.
When punishments are done badly they ruin relationships and dogs. If you want to successfully teach a dog to DO something BETTER, you must REWARD the things they are doing RIGHT. Sometimes your dog will need help getting there.
Goals help you form a reasonable plan.
Try picturing "Your Perfectly Behaved Dog."
What is she doing?
Here is example:
When my family is eating I would like my dog to lie on her bed quietly. This is a GOAL!
"I don't want my dog to beg." is NOT a goal, it is an unreasonable request for an animal that evolved as a scavenger.
When guests come over, I want my dog to sit in the hallway while I answer the door. This is ALSO A GOAL.
"I'm sick of my dog jumping on people." is NOT a goal, it is a complaint.
In short, your older dog CAN learn new tricks, but you might have to spend some extra time helping them get things right. Remember just KNOWING better is not enough. Your older dog will have a long history of doing things their way. Be patient, set reasonable goals, help them get it right and MOST IMPORTANTLY --REWARD, REWARD, REWARD. In fact, even if you feel like you did most of the work, you MUST still reward your dog. This will give them incentive to try it your way again.
G is for Go!
It is critical that you tell your dog when they are released from duty & free to do what they want.
I really suggest that you use a special Release Word, like "Go," "Free" or "Done!" so that your dog clearly understands when they are no longer required to Sit, Stay, or be in their Bed. "Ok" is a poor, release-word choice because it is so often and casually thrown about in conversation. Pick a clear word that you rarely use if you want to avoid mistakes.
Dogs love to put together puzzles, especially ones that they think have meaning to them.
BUT... being clever sometimes gets them in trouble!
Here is an example:
When I leave the house and my Aussie-dog is usually expecting to come with me --He usually is.
When he is invited out the door, he always does a Sit-Stay on the front porch.
I rarely ask for this, he knows it is expected and beats me to asking nearly every time. Clever, right?
In other situations he is also proficient at Sit & Stay --He can perform them perfectly in the hardest of distractions.
But he started breaking his Stay (go before being released) in the mornings on the porch.
What happened?
I used to hit the car-alarm button on my way down the steps.
Then, open the back of the car for my Aussie.
I would call him, "Load-up!"
While he loaded himself in the crate, I would load my bags and ever-present mug of coffee.
Finally I would get him settled in the back, shut the tailgate, go around to the driver's side and we would be off.
NAUGHTY, or CLEVER?
Clever! Absolutely, clever. He started chaining the events together.
Bip-Bip... Predicted... Click-Woosh... Predicted... "Load-up!"
It took awhile, but eventually my dog learned the sound of the new alarm un-locking the doors and the sound of the tail-gate opening.
BEFORE I could call him, he would be screaming down the steps and jumping in the back.
What happened is that the EVENTS over-shadowed (they were bigger and more noticeable) than my words "Load-up."
It became pointless for my dog to listen for a "release word" because he could PREDICT what was going to happen.
I like when he does this on the porch -he predicts that I am going to ask him to sit, so he just does it.
However, I did not want him predicting a release before I checked that the coast was clear -what to do?
The solution.
I mix up the routine a lot more now. Sometimes I call him BEFORE the alarm, sometimes after. Sometimes I load my bags first, sometimes after. Sometimes I have him heel to the car and sometimes I come get him. Sometimes I open doors I don't need to, just to test him.
BUT I ALWAYS, ALWAYS say, "Done!" (his release from the stay) before I call him. That way he knows that until he hears "DONE!" he needs to STAY!. The word is now more important than ever because I made it THE MOST IMPORTANT CLUE.
