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September 22 Earning Your Dog's Respect I am often asked how I am able to do the things I do with dogs. Many people have tried to get their dogs to complete a certain task, whether it be getting their dogs to come to them, go into a crate or ring, or to simply calm down and be quiet. But these people often end up frustrated, and sometimes they take it out on the dog(s). Imagine how their frustration grows when they have invested a lot of their time and energy into getting the dog to complete this task and I come along and make it look easy. Don't get me wrong. These people are usually very thankful that the dog did complete the task, finally, but they become frustrated with themselves for not being able to get the dog(s) to do it themselves. So they ask me, "How'd you do that?" One person even said, "Now, that just makes me mad!" But in different words. Look, there is no magical secret. That is the first and foremost misconception. I am not a magic man wielding my power over dogs. I simply, yes simply, understand their language because I have studied it for 20 years. Anyone can do this, yes even you! Sure, some people have a "gift" for it like myself, but really that "gift" is just a love for it. Not a special ability. The "gift" just keeps me motivated, and if you have enough motivation, why... you can do anything! So, to those who want to know how I do it, I'll tell you. Earn the dog's respect. That simple. Really. "Well, how do you earn the dog's respect?" I'll tell you. In a few simple steps below. 1.) Refrain from getting frustrated. Stay calm. This is the number one most important rule if you want to gain your dog's or any dog's respect. If you try to get the dog to do something, and he won't budge, then there is a reason. Flying off the handle and yelling, screaming, hitting things, making loud noises, cussing, and jerking at his collar will NOT work. And if it does work, your dog has learned to fear you, and is not truly happy. Fear, is not respect. Dogs obey out of fear, for fear of harm. Dogs act out of respect, because they trust you and choose to listen and act. If you don't stay calm, you will be seen as unbalanced by the dog. Dogs do not listen to unbalanced people, or dogs. Those dogs, and people will often be ignored, or attacked depending on the situation. But a calm person or dog is seen as balanced, and the dogs know that the calm ones mean business. Even the slightest bit of frustration can cause some dogs to lock up, avoid, or even attack. 2.) Set a goal and follow through. No matter how big, or small, you must have a goal in mind. Say the goal is to get your dog in the tub. No matter what happens, you MUST accomplish your goal every single time. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they give in too soon. Some people say, "Well, he just doesn't feel like it right now." or "He's just not ready yet." The facts are that he may not feel like it, and he may not be ready, but he still needs to do it when you ask or he'll learn he doesn't have to listen to you. In the wild he could get killed for not honoring the pack leader. So when he doesn't honor you, and nothing happens, guess who becomes the pack leader? Not you. Accomplish your goal every single time, and your dog will begin to respect you. All of the dogs at the daycare I work for know that when I tell them to go into the ring, they are going in the ring. There is no fight, or struggle to get them in. And I average about 20 dogs a day. If the dog is being stubborn, I will block and herd that dog where I need him to be. I rarely have to grab the collar and drag a dog to where I need him. This is because my goal is to get the pack into that ring, and I make sure I accomplish it. 3.) If the dog is hesitant, figure out why. Some dogs are less confident than others. If they are afraid of something, they will often avoid or flee from it. So in example, if you are trying to get your dog in the tub and she hesitates, take a moment to study her body language. What is she saying to you? Is she curved over with her tail tucked and ears laid flat? If so, this means she is feeling afraid. If she is licking her lips while curved, then she is saying that she is afraid and stressed about the situation. If she is nipping at you when you reach for her, it is out of fear, not aggression. You job is to accomplish your goal, so you need to figure out how to make your dog feel differently about the situation. This is where having some training experience is very handy. Because you may have to break down the process to get her to even go close to the offending object. If your dog is showing signs of stress and fear as mentioned above, either seek a trainer or behaviorist in your area to help, or look for one of my blog entries on dog training for help. Do not force a fearful or stressed dog to do something, because you can cause the dog to develop a phobia or squeeze out a bite. If your dog is just resisting because she doesn't want to get in the tub, she won't curve herself. Instead, she will keep her posture straight. She may play keep away from you, she may bark, she may put the brakes on when you try to pull her, or all three. The key to knowing that she is simply being stubborn is her body posture. Figure out why she is being so stubborn. Does she hate water? Does she associate the tub as a negative thing for any reason? If so, change this by making it a game. Stubborn dogs are often easily lured by simply changing your tactics. It could just be that the goal you set is boring and there is no real reward in it for the dog. If you offer a treat, but the dog seems like she could care less, then the treat does not equal the motivation and energy needed to complete the task. Or put simply, it may not be worth it. Try upping the anti. 4.) Reward when the task is complete. Once you have followed through and the dog has completed the goal, reward the dog with something that the dog sees as rewarding. Often people will reward the dog with something they see as rewarding, and not with what the dog sees as rewarding. You can tell what the dog finds rewarding simply by watching them. Do they like to chase things? Do they like to take naps? Do they like to go for walks? Toys? Balls? What is the dog actively pursuing a lot of the time? Is what they are pursuing healthy for them? Ask these questions to find a reward for your dog. Some dogs are very simple and a nice scratch behind the ears, or above the tail is sufficient reward. Other dogs require more and would rather chase a ball, play with a toy, or take a nap on their owner's lap. Most dogs are happy with something to chew on, like a bone or rawhide. Only let your dog have these with supervision. Rawhides can be dangerous. Treats are great, but too often people get stuck on treats and so do the dogs. Obesity becomes an issue, and the dogs' diet becomes unhealthy. Some treats aren't fully digested by dogs and this can cause coprophagia (eating poo). Use treats in moderation. 5.) Set up some rules and remain steadfast. Once you set up a rule, then you must enforce it every time. Dogs will test the rules often. If they find that they can break it with no consequence, then they will continue to break it. Dogs learn by repetition, so you may have to enforce the rules more than once. You will also need to determine what the consequence for breaking the rules should be. It could be time alone, which a lot of dogs don't like, or a squirt from the squirt bottle (doesn't work that well on water loving breeds like Labs and Newfies) or you can block and muzzle. Block and muzzle is where you block the dog until they submit to you (lower their head or roll over on their back) and then put your hand around their muzzle. WARNING: Don't try it with dogs that show ANY signs of aggression! You may get bitten! Or you can leg bump, which is where you walk into the dog and gently bumb them with your shin. DO NOT KICK! Don't leg bump small dogs, because you could accidently injure them. The same is true with very tall dogs, like skinny Great Danes. You could injure their hips and/or legs. You must stand up straight when leg bumping. What you are doing is mimicing an alpha dog's butt bump. This is where an alpha dog will turn himself and litterally bumb another dog with his butt. It's a way for the alpha to say "I'm boss, knock it off." While doing the butt bump, the alpha dog will stand erect and proud, so you must do the same for it to work. Sometimes it helps to say "Hey!" or something short when leg bumping. 6.) Stay consistent! This is really important. Lack of consistency is a leading reason why people fail with their dogs. By staying consistent, you are showing your dog that you are the boss. Consistency is a very important ingredient when trying to earn your dog's respect. Dogs thrive on it, and with out it they often panic. You can not let your dog do something one time, and then not the other. The reverse is true as well. Once a dog learns a rewarding behavior, that behavior tends to stick. So if every time your dog barks at the mailman and the mailman goes away, that is a reward to your dog. Because your dog successfully defended his and your territory from an intruder. The mailman is usually consistent and comes and goes at the same time everyday. Your dog picks up on this, and will be ready when the mailman comes. This example can be applied to anything, but the point is that dogs need, count on, thrive on, learn from, and down right live on consistency. If you put all of these things together, you will earn your dog's respect. It really is a lot simpler than it sounds. Keep in mind that dogs learn by trial and error. They do something, and if no one disagrees with it, and it's rewarding, they will do it again. If someone stronger disagrees with it, then they will usually move on. Dogs do not think like people, so don't feel bad about enforcing the rules. Your dog will respect you for making the rules and then enforcing them. They are a lot like kids in that way. Push them too hard, and they rebel; don't push hard enough and they will become uncontrollable. June 27 Communicating With Our DogsIn the blog entry, How Do Dogs Communicate? I talked about how dogs communicate with eachother. In this blog entry, I will be discussing how you can communicate with your dog. Hopefully, you will learn to better understand your furry friend by understanding how he/she views the way you communicate. The information contained in this entry assumes that your dog is well balanced and doesn't have any major "issues" such as extreme aggression or fear.
So just how do dogs precieve us? How do they try to communicate with us? Do we acknowledge them?
Dogs are constantly watching us. They study our every move. Our dogs are studying our body language and reacting accordingly. Are you sad? Your dog knows. Are you happy? Your dog knows. Are you angry? Your dog knows.
Dogs are extremely preceptive to movement. So much so, that they know how we feel, and our intentions from across the yard. Have you ever accidently snook up on your dog in the yard at night when it's totally dark? If so, then you know that at first, your dog probably barked at you as if you were an intruder. However, the moment you move.. your dog recognizes you. Dogs know who we are just by the way we move. Even if we were far away, in the dark, our dogs can recognize us by our movement. Every person moves differently, just like every person has a different finger print.
Dogs do not need us to speak to them to understand what we are saying. As a matter of fact, speaking to them helps us more than them. For humans, speaking out loud is a good way to get our thoughts together. Because if we hear our own thoughts out loud, we can remember them easier. The mind is a complex place, and it is easy to jumble up all of those thoughts that float around on our brain. For dogs, it is different. They can not say their thoughts aloud, so they act out their thoughts. This is what we refer to as impulsive. For example, say a dog smells something yummy in the trash, and this dog has not been taught to stay out of the trash. The dog will act out this thought by getting into the trash and eating the yummy object. So when we speak to our dogs, they don't understand until they can pear the words with our body language, or until they associate the sound of the word(s) with an action or object. Dogs are very consistent creatures and understand consistency well, so if we are consistent with our actions, they will learn our words and actions faster. Some words that dogs will learn fastest are, Out or Outside, Sit, Go, Ok, Good, No, Hey, and of course their name. The reasoning of course is that these words are generally the most consistent words we use with our dogs.
Dogs see us as emotional creatures. Which, we are. Sometimes, this works against us however. If we do not seem stable to our dogs, wether we are or not, our dogs will not listen to us. A good example of this is my dog Mitsy. Mitsy is a very well mannered dog. I picture her as a victorian women with the big hat and gloves up to the elbows. She is very proper. When we get in to the car, she immediately gets in the back and sits, like a lady. She rarely growls, or chases in public, even though at home she has a very high prey drive. Mitsy helps me teach obedience classes at Pooches, and my students always compliment me on what a fine dog she is. However, I had to take Mitsy through an obedience class at the Tulsa Dog Training Club because Pooches wanted us trainers to have competion obedience titled dogs. At the end of the class, there was a test, similar to an obedience competition. Mitsy had been top of her class, of course.. she's been helping me teach other her whole life. However, during the test the dogs had to do a down stay for three miniutes, and a sit stay for one miniute in a line. (Meaning the dogs were lined up about 2 feet apart doing the stays). Mitsy had aced this in class, at home, and even while teaching. She knows how to stay better than most dogs. But I was nervous, and a little shakey, because I wanted to pass because it was for work. Mitsy, the proper lady whom always listened, did not do the down stay for three miniutes. Halfway through the stay, she got up. Despite the fact that I had my hand up signaling her to stay. All because she read my body language, and it told her that I was not confident. In turn, that made her uneasy, and therefore, she got up and came to me.
If you find that your dog is not listening to you, and you know that he/she knows how to preform what you ask. Evaluate yourself. Are you calm, cool, and collected? Do you feel confident that the dog will do it? Does your dog feel safe with you? These are all great questions to ask yourself. Chances are that you will answer no to at least one of these questions.
Dogs also listen to the tone of our voice. High pitched voices will get a dog excited, while low pitched voices will probably make your dog cower, submit, or walk away. We see this in dogs when they interact with eachother as well. Warnings are often given by one dog to another with a low-pitched growl. Wolves will use lower pitched howls to warn off intruders called defensive howls. Higher pitched barking between dogs is used to demonstrate feelings of excitement or play. A play bark is a high pitched bark that can be kinda annoying. It is accompanied by what is called a play bow, which is were the dog lowers his front end in a bow with the hind quarters high in the air. So when we talk in higher pitches, it stimulates our dogs to play with us. We can also play bow by bending our knees and kind of squating quickly. Commands should never be given in a high-pitched voice, unless our method is to teach through play. Dogs learn most everything from play, but when we seriously need them to preform a task we should use a firm, calm, and commanding voice. Our body posture should be relaxed, but tall. The straighter we stand, the more confident we appear, and the more our dogs will take us seriously.
Often times dogs try to communicate with us in a way they think we will understand. Once they learn our body language, sounds, and style of communication, they will try to mimic us when communicating with us. This is probably one of the most fascinating things to me. Us communicating with the dogs is cool, but what really gets me excited is watching our dogs trying to communicate with us. When Oreo wants to go to the daycare with me, he will get his traveling leash (we have a million leashes hanging up). He knows exactly which leash to get. He pulls it down from the hook, and brings it to me. Then, he stands in front of me and stares with his ears pricked until I respond. When I say words, such as Go, or Out, his head twists from side to side as he is registering the pitch, tone, and word for recognition. Once he recognizes that I am asking him if he wants to "Go" to the daycare, he responds by jumping with excitement. This is his way of praising me for understanding what he is asking. Basically, he is saying "Yes Dad, that's right! I wanna go play at the daycare today! Let's GO!" After he praises me, I put on his leash and he stands in front of the door waiting to leave. This kind of thing is classic amongst dog owners. However, some people don't recognize what their dogs are saying to them. They tell their dogs to stop, or quit doing what they are doing. These people accidentally tell their dogs not to communicate with them. When this happens, the dog becomes frustrated. Frustration leads to destruction, due to displacement. Displacement occurs when a dog, or person, has nervous or anxious energy that needs to be released. So it comes out, sometimes small (licking lips, licking paws, scratching), and sometimes big (tearing up the sofa, the bed, or even the walls). People may bounce their legs or feet, tap their fingers, or chew on a pencil or their nails.
We need to recognize when our dogs are trying to communicate with us. If your dog is scratching at the water or food bowl and then looking at you, then obviously he/she is thirsty or hungry. If your dog is trying to get your attention, try to figure out why. It can only benefit you. Also, when you communicate with your dog, remember to stay calm, cool, and collected. If the dog acts out, keep in mind that he/she may not be able to help it. Especially if he/she has a bunch of energy that is built up. If you get frustrated, it will only make things worse. Take a break and try again later if this happens. Don't get mad at your dog. Remember, you chose to bring this creature into your home, and he/she doesn't speak english. Keep a healthy line of communication open with your dog, and he/she will do the same with you. You will both be happy, and sane!
Oreo is crawling in my lap, pawing at my arms, and sitting on the keyboard. I'm pretty sure that means that I've been on the computer too long, and he want's me to get off and play with him. I did just get home from work, and haven't spent time with him yet, so I can understand his point of view. So, it's time to get off, until the next entry. Ok, Oreo, I'm coming!
 Don't forget to vote for your favorite cute dog in the photo album! March 23 What's with all that licking?Ok, so you're curious as to why your dog follows you around licking your ankles or maybe he likes to lick the couch, your bed, the kennel, your shoes, your elbows, or maybe even his own paws or toys. Some of us get annoyed, while others laugh and think it's cute. If you have a Boston, then this is something you probably experience a lot.
Dogs like to lick for several reasons. One of them is to release anxiety. When dogs are anxious they have to find ways to release the energy. Sometimes they will chew, bark, run in circles, or even lick. Dogs that see themselves as the caregivers of the pack are especially prone to licking. They feel the need to take care of the rest of the pack. A dog's saliva has been proven to kill bacteria, so if a dog licks you, especially on a wound or rash, they are trying to clean it for you and make it better. It's like a mom licking on her thumb and wiping off her babies face. It is perfectly fine to let your dog lick you, remember, a dog's mouth is cleaner than a humans!
Dogs also tend to lick things that they love. At least it seems that way. Oreo likes to lick his kennel when he's in it. Either he has an iron deficiency, or he loves his kennel, or he's hoping it will open up and let him out. Truth is, until we can get into their heads for sure, we may never know. Mitsy likes to lick her paws on occasion. This is also due to anxiety. It's an outlet for her nervous energy. Chance likes to lick the couch... Chance is weird.. so he may like to lick it because it's a microfiber couch and the texture is similar to skin..on some weird level. But this also calms them down. I've known dogs to lick themselves to sleep.
Dogs will often lick their lips when they are nervous or in tense situations. Meeting another unknown dog can trigger this response. If you witness this, it is a sign that your dog is not comfortable in the current situation. Nervous licking of the lips looks much different than that of a dog licking his lips because he's hungry or just ate. It will be a slow lick of the lips, and the tongue may not even come all the way out of the dog's mouth. There will be other body language displayed to show the feeling of anxiety as well.
So there you have it. Dogs lick for several reasons. Anxiety, love, cleaning, and to calm themselves. Licking is perfectly acceptable as long as you don't mind it. Excessive licking and drooling is a sign of a psycological disorder. Example: The dog is at the door licking, drooling, and crying after someone leaves. If this is the case, seek professional help. April 17 The Barking DogLots of you have asked how to stop your dogs from barking. So here is some advice for ya!
Why is it that some dogs just won't stop barking? You tell them to stop but they just don't listen. They just keep barking, and wining, and barking.. and driving you CRAZY!
Dogs use barking as a form of communication. It is also a rewarding behavior for them. They learn as puppies, that making sound effects their environment. Some sounds bring the pack together, others push the pack or other animals away, and they even use sound to warn other creatures and their pack. When other creatures respond to it, it becomes a rewarding behavior. Barking, growls, and whimpers are all sounds dogs use to communicate with eachother.
Ok, I know what sound is used for, now how do I stop it? Well, you need to establish leadership with your dogs. First and foremost, leadership is the most important tool used to solve dog training problems. If you are not the leader, your dog will not listen to you. He/she may ignore your commands because he/she doesn't see you as the alpha. Once you establish that you are the alpha male/female, you'll notice that your dog(s) will mind every command you give.
So how do you become the alpha? Actually, becoming the alpha isn't that hard. Just remember, alphas always eat first, sleep or lay in the most comfortable spots, play with the best toys first, and pretty much get their way all the time. (This is why spoiling your dog is not a good idea). Alphas are treated like kings. Nothing happens with out their say so. Alphas give the rest of the pack affection only when everyone in the pack is on their best behavior. The submissive pack members always go to the alpha, and the alpha never goes to a submissive unless it's for discipline.
Ok, so now you're the alpha of your pack. Remember to stay consistent with your rules. Only invite dogs to lay with you on furniture, never let them just hop up when they want. If they do, push them down, make them sit, and then invite them as reward. Now, teach your dog to "Speak." This is a great command, because it has a counter..."Quiet." Once you can command your dog to speak on command, you can then teach him to be quiet on command as well. See Doggy Times II and click on the previous trick of the week link in the category section to learn how to teach "Speak" and "Quiet."
So now you are resting peacfully after a long hard day at work. All of a sudden your dog sees a rabbit out a window and goes nuts. He is barking, whimpering, turning in circles, the works. You have taught him "Quiet" but he refuses to listen. He keeps barking as you give the command. What do you do now? This is where you have to stay consistent as the alpha. Simply put, if your dog doesn't see you as the alpha, he/she will not listen to you..at all. Oh, and don't think that establishing yourself as the alpha is a one time thing either, it's a 24/7 job. Get up from your cozy chair, or bed, and point at your dog and say "SHHT!" (If you've ever seen the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic channel, you know this sound well). Look him straight in the eye while making the noise and even snap your fingers if it helps. The idea is to snap his mind out of the behavior. Distract him. Then praise him for being quiet and paying attention to you.
It is always a better idea to prevent your dog from misbehaving before resulting to any disciplinary methods. Giving your dog evey opportunity to succeed is always best, but not always possible. The truth is that most people get a dog for the family, and then don't have time for the poor animal. If your dog seems to be barking constantly, take some time to figure out why. Is he bored? Maybe he's telling you to play with him or take him for a walk. He might be barking at everything that goes by the house because he is not walked enough. He might miss exploring his neighborhood. Especially if the barking is paired with jumping the fence. Remember, dogs are still animals. They have more energy than we do, even the low energy breeds. They need steady exercise on a daily basis. If this energy is allowed to build, it will come out as destructive and/or annoying behavior. Most dogs simply have cabin fever. So take Fido on a walk everyday, give him the attention he needs, and teach him you are the boss. I'm sure if you can find the time in your busy scheduals, you will find that Fido doesn't need to bark as often, all he wanted was your attention. June 18 How Do Dogs Communicate?Dogs are great. They always want to be around us. They are our best friends and faithful companions. Wouldn't it be nice if they could communicate with us? The fact is.. they can! We have been communicating with dogs longer than with any other species of animal on earth. We have come to understand their way of communication as they have come to learn ours. Dogs communicate with sounds and body language. Guess what... so do we! We are so alike, it's know wonder we are best friends! Those of you with more than one dog.. have you ever watched your dogs communicate to eachother? It's really quite interesting! Dogs always establish a chain of command. The dominate alpha male, the dominate alpha female, and the submissives. The two alphas rule over the rest of the pack. They have the job of setting the rules for that pack. Kind of like a Mom and Dad watching over their kids. If one of the submissive dogs tries to break a rule, that dog will be warned by one or both of the alphas. Usually this involves a threat. The alpha male may show his teeth and growl. His ears will be pinned back close to his head. He is saying, "Watch out, or I'll attack you, and you don't want to mess with me!" This is his way of communicating with that submissive dog. If the submissive dog ignores the threat, the alpha male will attack. Sometimes he may just put his muzzle around the submissive's muzzle, or bite the submissive on the ear. This is the alpha's way of saying, "I warned you, I am the boss!" Dogs communicate with us in the same way. That is why it is crucial that they know we are the alphas of our pack. A typical family of four with one dog is a pack to that dog. No matter how many people there are, or how many dogs there are, dogs see it as a pack. Dogs will defend their pack, and their packs territory when they feel threatened. A good example of this is the mail man. When the mail man show up, the dog thinks, "Hey, who's that on my families territory? He's not part of my family, so he's a potential threat to them. I'd better get rid of him quick!" So then the dog will bark uncontrolably to warn the intruder until the he leaves and is off of the property. The dog thinks he has successfully completed his duty by ridding his family of a potential threat. When he is yelled at for barking at the mail man, he doesn't understand why he is not being praised instead. After all, he just defend his family, and they are yelling at him. He is then confused. To correct this, we need to communicate to him that the mail man is not a threat. To do this, we simply ask the mail man to meet the dog. The dog will then see that the mail man is not a threat, but a friend, and he will look forward to his next visit. Now just because we need to be the alphas, doesn't mean we should go around growling at our dogs. That would be silly. We use training methods to teach our dogs who's boss. When your dogs ears are laid back, it can mean one of two things. Either he is content, or angry. If he is content, he will be calm and relaxed. If he is angry, he will show his teeth and growl. If any dog you come across has his ears laid back, his lips curled and showing his teeth while growling, he is threatening you. Do not look him directly in his eyes. If you do, you are telling him you accept his challenge, and he may attack you. NEVER turn your back on an aggressive dog, or run. If you do, he is more likely to chase you, and you will be attacked. The best thing to do is BACK AWAY SLOWLY. When you back away slowly you are telling him that you do not want to fight, and acknowledging his authority. He is less likey to feel he needs to attack to teach you a lesson. Other things to look for from an aggressive dog are raised hair on his back and his tail held straight, but low. These are all signs that the dog means business. On the other hand, a dog that is scared will hold his tail between his legs and back away from you. He may also pin his ears down and hold his head low. If you approach the dog, he may roll over on his back. This is his way of saying, "I don't want to fight you!" If you watch your dogs communicate, you may see this from time to time. The alpha will stand over the submissive while the submissive rolls over on his back. This is how they maintain authority. Here are some things to look for to tell what your dog is saying to you........ Nervous: Tail between legs, head held low, shaking, defensive posture. Excited/Happy: Head held up, ears perky, tail wagging high, barking. Bored/Sleepy: Laying around, eyes half open, sighs, yawning. Wants to play: Play bowing(Front down, back raised), barking, tail wagging. Aggressive: Hair on back raised, ears pinned down, tail wagging low, offensive posture, lips curled, teeth showing, snarwling or growling. Wants Something: Stares at you, paws at you, ears held up, tail wagging high. Love: Licking, cuddling, laying on you. These are just a few examples of how dogs communicate with us and eachother. Keep in mind that all dogs are different in personality, and may have some of their own unique ways of communicating with us. After all, dogs have to learn how to communicate with us just as much as we have to learn to communicate with them.
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