Would your dog behave better if there was less STUFF?

A lot of dogs behave better when they have STUFF taken away.  It sounds silly when you put it this way, but sometimes the hardcore, science-heavy behavior lingo makes me feel nerdy.

The Facts: Removing sensory stimuli can create better behavior in dogs.  In training a desensitized version of a situation is a critical step in conditioning and/or reconditioning perceptions and responses.  Exposing a dog to gradual increments of the full picture allows the trainer to counter-condition the stimulus and change behavior.

The Question:  How do you make certain stimuli (situations, pictures, events) less of what they are?  Distance is a wonderful variable to manipulate, as it is movement and duration of exposure.  These are the typical categories that are manipulated to create tolerable situations for the dog being trained.  

The Complications:  Some experiences and some individuals just can't cope with "stuff" no matter how far away it is or how slowly it moves.  In fact whole new problems can be created for dogs who behave badly when things are far away or move oddly (too slow, too fast, to wobbly) etc..

The Solution:  For these dogs, a hood placed over the head is often remarkably helpful.  I liken the use of a Calming Cap on dogs to blinders on horses.  It doesn't entirely blind the animal, but it takes some of the overwhelming stimulous out of the picture.

Personal Testimony & Practical Uses:  I have used these caps on dogs who ride badly in cars.  Not dogs who get sick, or are fearful of car rides, but dogs that just can't seem to hold it together during the ride.  Border Collies, Kelpies and other herding dogs are at the top of the list for this.  

I also have used it for dogs who have never been on leash before, or were severely under-socialized and seem utterly overwhelmed when trying to soak in everything on walks.  Dogs really do use their nose like we use our eyes, so even with reduced eye-sight, they are getting tons of information about where they are and what is going on around them.

Final Thought... It does look a little funny.  I recommend decorating the fabric :)

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! 

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.

Unless you plan on competing with your dog in obedience training, you do NOT need a formal HEEL.

HEEL -A position in obedience training where the dog holds his/her position at the left leg on the handler with the dogs nose roughly at the same plane as the handlers outside pant seam.  This position is maintained by the dog regardless of if or how the handler moves (forward, backward, turning, stopping).

I am amazed by the number of clients who seem to feel that they MUST forcefully hold their dog on a tight, short leash while walking.  This is NOT needed.

If fact, it tends to cause problems for the handler and the dog.  A tight leash can actually cause a dog to behave aggressively.  

It is always better to walk a dog on a loose leash.  Training the dog to keep the leash loose is the first and most important step towards enjoying a walk with your dog.

TEACHING LOOSE-LEASH WALKING  -kindergarden level

1.  Choose a collar or harness that does not pull on a dog's neck or back.  

Most flat-collars are good for keeping tags on your dog, but they are not good for walking dogs on leash.  

Pinch and Prong-collars are designed to hurt the dog for making mistakes (pulling), but hurting the dog can have serious side-effects such as increased aggression.  There are many reasons that these collars should never be used, but the best reason is that you can accomplish the same goal faster and more effectively without them.  

Back-clipping harnesses are a great way to reduce pressure on a dogs neck and throat, but they help a dog pull and are useless for teaching a dog to walk nicely on leash.  

****There are two great options for helping your dog walk nicely (no pulling on leash).  Front-clipping harnesses are becoming very popular and dogs tend to adjust to them quickly.  These are fantastic walking harnesses and they do not hurt the dog.  Another option is to use a head-collar.  

For more on these devices, CLICK HERE.

2.  Set time aside for training.  

Hold your dog's leash in your right hand.  If your dog is on your left this will mean that the leash crosses in front of your body -this is OK.

Hold some tasty treats in your left hand near your dogs nose.

Keep your dog interested in the treats, but do not let your dog eat them.

If your dog jumps for the treats or tries to nibble your hand.  Pull your hand away and put it behind your back.  

If your dog has all 4 paws on the ground and is walking nicely next to you, PRAISE your dog THEN give them one of the treats from your hand.