Lately, I have heard this comment from several people. I want to ask…to whom? If you abandon a dog to a crate in some remote place in the home where it isn’t around its new family, perhaps that could be considered cruel. I sense an element of pride when someone assures me their puppy doesn’t need a crate. OK.
I may never hear the sequel to that story, but I can almost guarantee that confinement of some sort is necessary in order to provide a safe place for a puppy while house training, teaching house manners, and letting them move beyond the time of mass destruction commonly referred to as “teething.”
Do I insist on crate training? No. Do I want to do all I can to assist in a newly adopted dog staying in its new home with the least amount of stress and confusion? Yes. It doesn’t matter to me - it’s what works for you and your pup. But, a puppy given too much room, is very difficult to house train. I know some people have the time to take their dog out every hour or so for a potty break, so the need for confinement doesn’t seem necessary. However, this pup will not learn to hold it and to let you know when it needs to go out, and it will also be difficult to get it on a schedule so you can leave the dog when necessary.
Crate training a dog is neither cruel nor the only way to go. From the work I do, I can tell you it has saved many a relationship with man’s best friend.
If you need assistance with house training and/or crate training, get a copy of my ebook “The Truth About Housebreaking” and get a free copy of my crate training ebook.
In an article by Jean Donaldson she addresses the question - are dogs pack animals? Studies show they may not be as pack oriented as we typically profess them to be. She concludes with this:
“If we are to support our contention that dogs are pack animals, we will need to account for these many populations where dogs, in the absence of the glue of human confinement and husbandry, simply do their own thing.”
Guess what? Dogs bark. This isn’t the first time you have heard it from me. This post is another segment in why dogs bark. Here’s the scenario:
You are walking down the street with your dog on a leash and working on having your dog heel. Your dog spots another dog in the distance and starts barking (and barking and barking). What is your dog saying?
Your dog’s bark could be saying:
“Look a dog! Hi dog! I’m a dog! Come here dog. We can play!” Or…
“Oh no a dog! A big dog! A little dog! I don’t like how that dog looks or smells. I need to get that dog - now before he gets me (us)!” Or…
“Look a dog! Get me outta’ here! That dog just said he doesn’t like me and to prepare to defend myself. Run!”
There is so much more than just a bark happening in these moments. Some dogs have more obvious triggers than others, and it takes time in learning those triggers and if your dog is being assertive and dominant, passive and frightened, or just wants to have fun.
To those on the other end of the leash, it appears that when our dog sees a dog it goes crazy for no reason and we either panic or get embarrassed. I have a vocal dog, so I have to tell people, “sorry, he’s vocal.” It seems like common courtesy to apologize for our dogs barking. Seldom do humans apologize for being overly vocal. Granted a barking dog can be annoying but for them it is not without purpose.
Observe and learn from your dog, watch their body language, and while you can’t remove their ability to communicate, you can keep them from escalating into panic mode. You can acknowledge what they are saying and they should trust and respect your request for them to be quiet.
If you are interested in what to do to work with your dog to focus on you while it exercises, learns, gains confidence, and has fun….try an agility class. This video is of my recent graduates from the beginner classes.
I came across the paperwork I had on my precious, little Melody. As I worked with some timid dogs at the local shelter to help them be adoptable, I met a not-so-happy Yorkie who had been surrendered. She had been a breeder at a puppy mill. This is the statement of surrender the woman had to sign in order for this no-kill shelter to take responsibility for her.
STATEMENT OF SURRENDER
I, the undersigned, do hereby unconditionally donate to the Morongo Basin Humane Society, my animal to dispose of as it sees fit, relinquishing all my rights, title and interest in said animal. I further represent that I am the owner thereof, or the agent for the animal. I understand that any animal may be euthanized.
I read and re-read the above paragraph. Knowing Melody as I do now, it’s hard to imagine anyone being able to sign such an agreement. I am in no way faulting the shelter. This is what they have to do and this shelter is great and does so much for so many. I was fortunate enough to bring Melody home to help her trust human touch, and the rest is history.
If you or anyone you know, needs to re-home a dog, please do your best to find a home without surrendering to the already over-crowded shelters. It is traumatic for a dog to go from a loving home environment to a shelter. If I can be of assistance in any way, please let me know.
There are so many options when it comes to purchasing a collar for your dog. Should you use a harness? What type of harness is best? If using a collar, is the flat nylon style adequate? Some trainers will only train using a prong/pinch (or power steering collar, as I call them). My personal
favorite is the Martingale-style training collar.
Let’s face it, dog training is dog training when it comes to basic commands. It’s what happens when the leash and collar come off that is the true test. A lot of dogs go into their training mode when a specific collar is used for training versus the one used for a walk. They quickly learn what is expected depending on their “jewelry.” Much like a service or search and rescue dog knows it’s working when wearing a vest. Dogs are smart! We train them well (or they train us well). =)
I make certain that any dog I work with knows their commands regardless of their collar or harness. The collar and leash are tools. The end result is not that your dog responds nicely during the 15 - 20 minutes of training, but rather they listen, respect, and want to please you when training is done. Training becomes a way of life. Aren’t we always teaching others how to treat us!
After the basics, I suggest switching to a 15 - 20 foot leash to perfect “stay.” It’s also beneficial for teaching them to “come” and for distance learning. Too often, after puppy class, the leash and training are set aside until the dog does something not so pleasing to the human. I can assure you, the dog is always great at being a dog and not so great at thinking like a human. It takes (a lot) of time and consistency to create a mutually respectful relationship with your dog.
As a side note, I have seen too many dogs who were broken (for lack of a better word) by harsh training using a prong collar. Not every dog is the same, and it’s important to be willing to try different tools to see what works for your dog. If a trainer/behaviorist only does it one way, I’d find another trainer. No two dogs are the same any more than two humans.
I am happy to answer any questions you have, and if you live in the Palm Springs area, I would love the opportunity to work with you and your fur family.
I posted previously about Courage, the German Shepherd left to starve to death in his human’s yard. Here is a link to his web site. What an inspirational story! He is also being adopted by his foster family.
Usually when we think of a dog and its instincts, we don’t think in the context of us (dog) versus them (instinct). A dog may never be truly separated from its instincts, however, it may have to grow into them.
While working with puppies, particularly male puppies, it is interesting to observe their response to their instincts particularly as it pertains to their developing hormones. Until the hormones align with maturity, it is as if their instincts work against them. Some males never lift their leg and others…well, could use a father figure saying something like, “son, never pee into the wind.” In the case of some male pups, it would be, “son, lift the other leg.”
I watched as a six-month-old ALL-MALE pup, sniffed a place where another dog had gone, and rather than lifting the leg next to the targeted rock, lifted the wrong leg. Too funny. I, of course, would never laugh at the dog.
I had him out for socialization, and as he focused on the scent where another dog had marked, he began to mark. What was so entertaining, is he doesn’t yet know to ration his urine so he went freely as he was walking away! Another time, he looked down as he was mid-stream and the urine hit his chin. He jumped with a startled expression as if to ask, “who just sprayed me and why?”
He will get his brain soon and his body will mature and the hormones will stabilize. Until then, I will enjoy the maturing process of this beautiful (when he is sleeping) boy.
The secret to keeping your dog safely in the yard is to build a fence! I wish it were easier than that. When we move into a home, it is very clear to us that this is our house and this is our yard. Dogs don’t. They learn where they live, but for the most part, a yard is a yard is a yard.
Some dog breeds have less of a prey drive and are more connected to the needs and wants of their human pack. They may never even consider wandering off unless it is to follow you. Others, appear to go deaf and experience a sudden loss of memory when instinct or wanderlust kicks in. Dogs can be taught the boundary of a yard, but even the best trained dog may run after a foot-loose rabbit. (Can’t you just hear their, “woo-hoo - got me a wabbit! Yard? Boundary? Give me a second!”)
It is very important to continually reinforce their recall (coming to you) because if, or should I say when they take off, they will respond to your call. At that moment, their response to “come” is more important than the fact they left the yard.
The subject of dogs and what it is they feel will forever be a topic of interest to us dog advocates. I don’t think I would treat them any differently if I were to find out they had no “feelings” in the sense that we humans do.
A feeling can be like the weather in Seattle. If you don’t like it, wait an hour and it will be different! This is certainly true if our feelings are based on emotion alone. Living with humans, dogs are exposed to our fickle behaviors and moods whether or not they understand or join us in them.
I know when I have asked a client to confine (crate or kennel or keep a leash on their dog) they wonder if it will hurt their dog’s feelings. On behalf of all the dogs I love, NO! We don’t worry about hurting an infant’s feelings if we don’t let them run free and out of our sight before they are trustworthy.
I do believe dogs have feelings, and the rest is my life study. For instance, I came home from a training session to find that my dogs were frantically going through the phone book looking for a florist so they could send me flowers for my upcoming birthday. You can see their disappointment in my walking in on the surprise. I’d say they have feelings…
