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.
Don’t ask me how I know this! =)
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…
If this doesn’t work for you, get a copy of my ebook “The Truth About Housebreaking.” Maybe if your dog sees you reading the book, he will be more than willing to take this vow.
I hear people refer to a dog’s behavior as an “accident.” Dogs don’t have accidents. Certainly not in the way humans do.
As I walked to my car today and noticed yet another they-had-to-know-they-did-this door ding, I said my characteristic “dog gone it!” Whatever that means. Having just said the word dog, I couldn’t help but think about how different we humans are from animals.
Dogs, like other animals, live in the moment. They may be territorial, possessive, aggressive, and any or all of the characteristics that could make them excellent door-dingers; however, it’s not something they would do. If a dog wants you to know they are feeling threatened, irritated, or any number of expressions, it will be in your presence and applicable to that moment. They aren’t capable of being passive-aggressive.
Living in the moment may not be so great all of the time; however, it would help to lessen those “accidents” we humans may participate in on a daily basis; i.e., forgetting where we put something, hitting someone’s car because we weren’t paying attention, over-reacting to a situation because of something that happened earlier in the day, etc.
I am coining a new phrase - “WWMDD?” That’s - “What Would My Dog Do?” I don’t know that it will help me find the keys I can’t find because I was thinking of something else when I set them down; but, if asked often enough, it may help to keep me in the moment and maybe a little less serious.
Accidents do happen (as they say); however maybe if we asked ourselves WWMDD, they would happen a little less often.
If your dog has mentioned you need behavioral modification or you experience mis-placed aggression, send me an email. I’m happy to help. I’m better at understanding dogs, but I do fairly well with humans.
It only takes seconds to train a dog. Really. Because your dog is constantly observing and responding to you, you are always training them. What you are training them is the question. If you provide little to no structure and are inconsistent with what you expect of them, you will receive little to no respect and inconsistent behavior from them.
Some clients admit to having in the past had dogs they never had to train. The difference was in the dog. Some dogs want to please us more than others, and it appears they need no training. They do; however, they are just plain easy! Unfortunately (or fortunately), not all dogs are created equal. We make the mistake of labeling a dog that was easy “good” and a difficult dog as “bad.” They are both good dogs - let’s just say one is more challenging than the other.
So, how long does it take to train your dog? It could be a lifetime. Sure, with consistent expectations from you, you will get into a good flow of life where there is peace in the kingdom. However, and that is a big HOWEVER, they will always and forever be a dog going through cycles of development and may need you to “remind” them of what they know. I am here to remind you. =)
In the words of another great dog behaviorist…most trainers train humans and rehabilitate dogs. I work with a lot of dogs who are, fortunately for them, not so much in need of rehabilitation given their age and history as they are in need of consistency. And, in much dismay to their humans, they are excellent at being puppies.
In my training of humans, I try to keep things light and also get the point across. For instance, as I am leash training their dog, the human will get excited when the puppy attempts to chew the leash as they repeat, “see, look what he does, look what he does!” If, when I provide instruction, they don’t want to hear what I’m saying, I’ll ask what they have been doing when Pookie chews the leash. After they respond, I hear myself asking, “how’s that workin’ for ya’?”
Another example is in the guidance I provide for house training a puppy. It almost always involves my suggesting crate training and complete supervision when the puppy isn’t in the crate. By now, they are exhausted from cleaning up poop and pee and not sleeping because of a destructive pup in the house. They will assure me it would never work and every reason why. I wait and listen because I do understand their frustration. Then, if they continue to negate my suggestion, I may hear myself ask, “do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?”
So, you see, this really is about human behavior modification as much as it is canine behavior modification. As I always say, dogs are great at being dogs. While it may not be the same in every case, behaviorists have learned what works. I’m sure there are a lot of other Dr. Phil-isms I could and do use. If what you are doing, isn’t working or in the way you had hoped, please contact me!
Are your dogs ever silly? I don’t know what the term would be in dog world, but in human language, it is best described as silly!
I have written previously about Melody, a tiny Yorkie with a horrible past. If she never exuded a moment of happiness or silliness, it would be understandable. She, however, is beyond animated when she sees me approach or is ready for a meal.
She crab crawls, wiggles, spins, rolls and turns in excitement. She reminds me that regardless of how someone appears or what their past experiences have been, inside there may be a little silly waiting to express itself.
We expect puppies to be silly and on some days look forward to when they grow up. Melody, on the other hand, is far from being puppy age and is getting her silly on later in life. She shows us that it’s ok. I think I’ll join her.
This post is dedicated to all of us who have dogs. Real dogs. All dogs are “real” dogs; however, it is easy for us humans to want to think of them as four-legged, unconditionally loving, furry human wannabees! They are amazingly wonderful at being dogs.
If, no - when, you have a moment or a day when your dog does nothing exactly as you would like, take a breath, find something positive, and come back later to whatever it was you were doing. If you want a robot, go to Radio Shack. If you want a companion that will challenge you and just as quickly show their inexplicable love and loyalty, you might enjoy a dog.
For as long as women have tried to make men think like them and vice versa, it is really no different with our dogs. They don’t think like a human. I can guarantee you that regardless of their behavior (whether you like it or not) they are just doing what dogs do. You might as well learn to tell them they are a good dog as you shake your head in bewilderment. If you will notice, some of this undesired behavior is getting them high-fives from the other dogs!
