R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means...

I've been professionally training dogs for almost 14 years.  Over those years I've done a number of things  in order to train dogs and help dog owners. This includes various tools, methods and advice to be dispensed.  However, just in the past 3 years I've changed a lot of my training dramatically and I feel that now I'm really grasping the reality of dogs and their behavior.  -- What do you mean? -- You ask ... Let me go a little further ...

First of all, no one will ever completely understand dog behavior as it is so complex.  Just like all animal behavior we are always learning.  The same goes for humans as well, I suppose. However, with our canine friends we cannot ask them how they feel or what they are thinking so it's a little more difficult than working with humans.

What I've learned in the past few years with my evolving training and education regarding dog behavior is that to truly modify behavior and train a dog -- be it to work with a chewing puppy or an aggressive or fearful rescue dog -- we must really understand why the dog is doing what he is doing.  I'm not saying that I didn't try to do this during my entire training career, I'm saying I've learned that before I only thought that was what I was doing.  What I was actually doing before was just trying to get the dog I wanted and to get rid of certain behaviors. In the past I wasn't really "listening" to the dog.  

I really sit back and take a lot in now.  It all makes so much sense if you really look at it with a new perspective.  We don't respect dogs enough, we just put expectations on them.  I find that more humans just want a dog and want the dog to do (fill in the blank), however they don't take into consideration the reality of some of their expectations.  Humans think animals are so trainable that sometimes we treat them like electronics that can be programmed to do specific things and not to do specific things ... but often at an unrealistic level.

Of course we can train dogs to do many things for us, specific tasks and things.  However, the calls I get are often really interesting as they have a heavy "I need my dog to do this or not do this, or else" connotation.  Here are some examples of actual things  dog owners have said to me over the years ...

"I have a 10 week old Pomeranian puppy and she has to go potty like twice a night. I need my sleep, can you help me train her to stop waking up in the night?"
You may be thinking -- Ok, what's wrong with that request?  Well nothing. At some point yes, a dog can and should sleep through the night.  However, a 10 week old puppy is like asking a newborn infant to not require feedings every 3 hours and wake up during the night.  It's unrealistic at best and abusive at worst if you ignore that behavior from a young puppy.  Anyone that is a parent knows this all too well.  Did you not get up in the night the first several months with your babies to feed them (multiple times!) and often lose tons of sleep?!  Why should a baby dog be different, because it's a dog?!  

"My dog barks when he's in his crate. Can we train him to stop barking so my neighbors won't complain? My friend told me to squirt him in the face with a water bottle when he barks but it doesn't really help much."
Absolutely we can.  But we first need to find out why he's barking.  Trying to tell the dog he's "bad" for doing this isn't very respectful. What if he's afraid? Anxious? Needs to pee? We need to address the reason for the vocalization first then we can help the dog learn to be comfortable and have his needs met.

"My dog pulls on the leash. I keep my leash short and tight so he's right next to me but he still tries to pull."  ....  "My dog chokes when he's  pulling on the leash but it doesn't stop him from pulling."  .... "I use this collar and give a slight tug on it when we are walking and he'll walk nicely next to me, unless there is a cat, then he'll try to pull again and I have to give him another reminder." 
Leash pulling questions are very, very common for dog trainers  in all circles to hear.  The problem, again, is that we need to address the dog's main problem -- he doesn't know that he's supposed to walk on a loose leash.  Let me say that again, because the common thought now is this -- yes he does, I tell him "no" or I jerk on the leash or give him some sort of correction when he does pull ... That's the problem. You are only telling the dog what he is not supposed to do. So what do you want him to do? Walk on a loose leash, right? Ok. Then we have to teach the dog that you want that behavior.  Telling the dog what you don't want only addresses that -- what you don't want. It doesn't help the dog understand what in fact he is supposed to do and how to accomplish that!  

And the biggest and most common one of all  --- "My dog growled at me. I will not tolerate that. If he starts to snap he's gone!" (...or some version of that, there are many!)

A dog growls as a way to communicate a feeling of being uneasy.  Stop there. I know you are thinking -- but I didn't do anything, he just growled. Or, I'm his owner, he knows he can trust me ...  or something to that effect, right?!  Well, the truth is that if a dog is growling he doesn't feel comfortable. This is very often around children, not always but very often.  If your dog is growling you need to figure out why.  Do not correct this behavior.  You must address the reason for the dog growling.  Is he guarding something? Is he uncomfortable? Are you allowing a child to be near the dog when  possibly they should not be?  Is the dog in pain?  The list goes on for this.

But understand this.  This is a fact, contrary to what you want to believe ... if you correct your dog in any fashion for growling you may take away the dog's ability to give this very subtle warning.  A growl is nice.  The next move is a snap or a full bite.  If you continually tell a dog he is a "bad dog" for growling this will be your dog's thoughts -- "ok, so growling isn't working to get this human to back away, guess I'll just use my teeth to get my point across."  And next time you will gasp and think -- how could he?!  He did that because you were disrespectful. You didn't take the time to ask why he did it and then use training to teach him he doesn't need to feel the need to growl.  Yes, you find out why and train the dog to feel comfortable in the situation(s) that normally cause him to growl.  And yes, if he growls you do nothing.  Nothing. Back away and go to brainstorm as this means training is in order!

All of the above examples are a few of many things I run into, I could list a zillion more.  What they all have in common is that we all too often disrespect our canines.  We only hold high expectations for them.  We don't take into account that maybe we should take a step back and learn to understand our dogs and teach them what we do in fact expect of them.  Please understand what this post is saying in its entirety. I am not saying you need to allow dogs to display aggression or "naughty" behaviors. I am not saying that at all. I'm not saying you cannot have expectations of your dogs. I'm saying that we have to respect the reasons why dogs are doing what they are doing.

A 10 week old puppy is waking in the night because he's a baby and cannot physically hold it all night long.  A dog pulls on leash because he has not been trained how to maintain a loose leash and what it means to walk nicely with the person holding the leash.  A dog growls when chewing a bone because often dogs guard resources and must be taught that there is no reason to feel threatened by approaching humans (or dogs).  A dog barks in a crate for many reasons and squirting it in the face with water isn't going to take the dog's crate anxiety away but will probably increase it (or worse).

You have to understand why your dog does what he does. Usually it is as simple as "he doesn't know anything else", and dogs do what works for them. If your dog jumps on guests grabbing his paws or kneeing him in the chest (some old school techniques to "get  rid of" these behaviors) is not teaching your dog that a nice polite sit for greetings is more acceptable and he can also be petted  at the same time -- win/win!  

So instead of saying, "Stop it! No!" or grabbing for a squirt bottle or kneeing a jumping dog or yelling at your dog, ask yourself this -- if this were a human child would I approach them the same way?  If your infant is waking in the middle of the night you are definitely not getting angry with the baby (but I do understand first hand how very tiresome this is!). If your child is crying in the other room across the house you don't yell "Shut up!!!" first, do you? Most likely you go into the room and ask, "What's the matter?!"  Once you get the answer you try to address the issue.  

We cannot ask our dogs questions as to why they do what they do; they cannot give us an answer.  So we must show them what is expected and how they can properly carry out these behaviors. We must understand and respect their emotional state in the moment, especially in regards to fear, aggression and anxiety.  Then and only then can we change behavior appropriately, correctly and with lasting results ... and without the use of aversives.  It is this kind of true and genuine understanding of the canine species that will lead us to lasting and wonderful results with our training because we are addressing the dog as a whole and not just suppressing those "unwanted" behaviors. We are actually addressing the "why" of those unwanted behaviors and helping the dog understand how to overcome those as well as change those unwanted behaviors into acceptable behaviors.  This is where a dog's relationship with his owner becomes so strong that training is simple and true to form ...

----- *** ----- *** -----

My website: www.aictdfw.com
My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/adventuresincaninetraining
My Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bSZT

"So how do I properly discipline my dog? . . . " (Version II)

I had written a blog post about this subject back in January of 2010. I have noticed that this specific blog post has received over 1300 views.   I hadn't read the post in years and so I went back and re-read it.   Oddly enough I was a little bothered by some of what I wrote!  I have grown as a trainer and behavior therapist due to continued education in the field, and I'm glad I have!  So, with that said I feel that I need to  update this post due to it's popularity and  let dog owners know how I feel about this subject in regards to my current training philosophies and methods.

I'll start by saying that the most important thing about discipline is that it should be a learning moment for both you and your dog.   However,  as a professional dog trainer I have discovered that most dog owners asking "how do I discipline my dog" are actually asking "how do I get him to stop _____?"  or "how do I get him to understand what 'No!' means?" If these are one of the reasons you have Googled how to discipline your dog then you should take some things into consideration first.

There are several reasons a dog would do something you would disapprove of:
1) He's a dog.  He's doing something dogs do.
2) He doesn't know anything else.
3) Lack of training. He hasn't been taught what you prefer he do instead of XYZ behavior.
4) He's missing something in his life. He is bored, over/under-stimulated and/or over/under-exercised.
5) He's gotta pee. He may need to relieve himself (for puppies, especially).
6) Medical reasons. He may have anxiety for one reason or another.

I prefer to teach a dog what I want him to do as opposed to what I do not want him to do.  It's really so much easier to do this, not to mention your dog expands his vocabulary and knowledge base to a degree that "misbehavior" is normally a thing of the past or at least something that rarely occurs.

So instead of me telling you what to do to correct a misbehavior or a way to teach your dog "No!" I will tell you this -- train your dog to  understand what you want from him.  Here are some examples of common complaints on things dogs do and what to do when these things  happen.

Complaint: Dog jumps on guests.
What dog owner says: How do I teach him to stop jumping on guests?
What you should do:  First, what do you want your dog to do? Sit? Lie down? Go lie on a mat?
Teach your dog to do something when guests come in your home or greet your dog.  Then your dog will do that and they won't find a need to jump.

Complaint: Dog chews socks.
What dog owner says: How do I get him to stop chewing my socks (and other things)?
What you should do: First, don't allow objects your puppy chews to be accessible.  Now teach your puppy what he should chew on.  Let puppy know that chewing on his bone is rewarding and acceptable behavior.

You get the idea.  Most dogs do things we dislike due to lack of training, not because they are obstinate or mad or whatever you would like to believe.  Plain and simple, the dog has most likely not been taught something better!

Once you have trained your dog many appropriate behaviors and your dog is also well exercised and stimulated, you shouldn't have a problem.  However, a dog is a dog. Every now and again something will happen that you'll disapprove of.  It is at this time if you need to say, "Hey! Fido, don't do that!" that your dog will most likely listen and stop.  You've trained him well and you have a very good understanding of one another, therefore, punishment and yelling is really just not necessary at all.

----- *** ----- *** -----

My website: www.aictdfw.com
My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/adventuresincaninetraining
My Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bSZT

FREE Dog Training Advice ...

YIPPEE!! Could it be any clearer -- free dog training advice?  Yup. That's right!  The catch is that you have to be a Facebooker.  So, travel on over to my group to read the description and know what you are getting into!  Here is the group on Facebook I created that is available for people to ask questions and get dog training help/advice!  Ask to join today!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/AiCTTrainingAdvice/

The Stork Arrived Early!

I know some of you follow this blog and don't follow my Facebook page so I just realized you may not know that I had my twins on Friday, February 15th ... just 2 days after my last blog post!  They were 6 weeks early and had to spend 10 days in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).  They are doing great, however, and have now been home for about 10 days.  

We are all doing well, no sleeping much, but doing well. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be back to work so I'll keep everyone updated on that when things fall into place for me around here and we figure out what we'll do.  Thank you again to all of you great doggie people who have been so supportive, generous and caring. It really means a lot to me!  ... Oh and we did a DNA test to confirm if they were identical or fraternal twins -- they are identical! 

Take care of your pups and let me know if there is anything at all that I can do for you!

Muchas Gracias ...

I just wanted to write to my many followers, clients -- past and present -- and many dedicated dog owners that read my blog and/or follow my business page on Facebook ... and those that do other things outside of anything business to make it very easy for me to love my job even more!

It is you dog owners that keep me going, that keep me wanting to help dog owners when they need it.  There are so many great dog owners out there, so many great dog clients I've had the joy of getting to know and work with.  I just wanted to send a huge thank you to all of you!

For an update on myself -- I'm still pregnant! Seems like forever, at least to me!  I'm 34 weeks and due with my twin girls (we have named Stella and Sadie) on March 24th  I'm definitely ready and at this point walking into the kitchen to get water is a chore.  The bathroom is a common place for me to be and sitting or lying down is the only thing that feels somewhat comfortable at this stage.  However, the babies are doing great and we are moving along nicely according to the doctors.  So, again, thank you for all you have done and I will post updates as much/often as possible.

Remember that I post lots on my Facebook business page and hope to keep this blog busy with dog stuff too!  You can sign up for updates sent directly to your inbox by putting your email address in the bar where it says "Get Emailed When I Post New Stuff" on the right column of the main blog page here: adventuresincaninetraining.blogspot.com

No more doggies jumping on the bed ...

I get this question a lot: Should I allow my dog on the bed (or other furniture)?  Usually this is based on the very old-school of thought that having dogs in your bed or on your furniture gives your dog a sense of "dominance" and being "higher up".  Easily put, that is hog wash.

Without getting too  much into the whole dominance theory, as re-visited by scientists today, I will just say that here are common myths about canine dominance in the pet home that are just that: myths.

• If you allow your dog to sleep with you he'll think he's ranked higher and may feel more dominant.
• If you allow your dog to walk through a door way before you then you are allowing your dog to be dominant, and be ahead.
• If you play tug and let him win, your dog may become dominant, or aggressive.
• If your dog growls or snaps at you  he's showing dominance.
• If your dog is a bully to other dogs or aggressive towards them it's because he thinks he's dominant.

While the above listed items are all completely false and all have other meanings and root from other things, we won't address those in this post.  I just want to address dogs on furniture or sleeping with you in the bed. 

The truth is that dogs can sleep wherever you wish, with some rules and training under their belt.   I feel that dogs can be allowed on any furniture where I sit or lie (minus kitchen chairs/stools and tables!) with the following reliable things in place:

• When I ask them to move and/or "get off" they do so without coercion or bribery. 
• They do not mind moving when I get into their space on the furniture.
• They never show any aggression or refuse to get off the furniture.
• In multiple dog homes all dogs should be able to safely share space without a tussle, snap, snarl or argument. (This may require more training depending on the dogs!)

The above should be trained before being requested by you.  If your dog cannot or does not respond to the above then you need to train him to respond to your requests and move out of space when you move into it.  You should train your dog to do this without force.  These are easy things to train, just practice and train them before asking your dog to do them, as with anything you ask of your dog.  If you need to work on this with a multiple dog home there may be a few extra steps and a bit more training involved, but it can be done! Remember it's not fair to ask your dog to something you've never actually trained him to do. 

Here is a video of my dogs showing some examples we discussed above.  (Direct link to video: http://youtu.be/JO1bea_gpwo)

 

Choosing to have pets on the furniture is a personal choice. If you simply do not want dogs on the furniture that is totally fine. However if you don't allow it because you were led to believe it was "bad" or would lead to "behavior problems" then fret no more! Just teach your dog the rules and boundaries of your bed and furniture! Happy sleeping!

----- *** ----- *** -----

My website: www.aictdfw.com
My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/adventuresincaninetraining
My Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bSZT