Thank Dog It’s Friday!

Friday at last!  After another week of being the watchful eye and keeping the household safe, Moby can relax. . .

How Dogs Learn

Do dogs want to please us?  Do they reason?  We tend to think they must want to please us because of their enjoyment of our affection.  We have all witnessed behavior that would indicate dogs have the ability to reason.  The ongoing research regarding canine cognition is sure to reveal scientifically what we can only assume based on what we see.  However, there needs to be care taken not to assume dogs think, reason, learn, or respond as humans do.  We are setting someone up for failure to think otherwise.

As I work with dogs and their humans on a daily basis, I see frustration in the human’s eyes and confusion in the dog’s as the human is certain their dog knows exactly what is being asked and they are just being stubborn.  Can they be stubborn?  Absolutely.  They can also be confused, and our escalating impatience will not help to clarify our expectations.

An example:  dogs are taught to sit with the human facing them.  Soon, they are sitting every time we ask.  Then, we take the leash and are out for a walk and as we stop we ask our beloved dog to sit and demonstrate their new skill.  Not only do they not sit, they act clueless.  What happened?  We moved.  Dogs are constantly in tune with our bodies.  They learned sit with us facing them and they think that is part of the command.

Rather than getting frustrated, make sure they understand what “sit” means and that it has nothing to do with the proximity or position of your body or a treat.  Once they really know the word and the associated response, they will sit regardless of where you are standing in relationship to them.   When certain they understand the command and they are either distracted or stubborn, ask them to sit once and then assist them in sitting.  They must follow through!

There is more to say on this topic, and that will be covered in another post.  Until then, if you have any questions regarding the training of your canine companion, please send a note in the box to the right.  (I share with Melody)

Dogs And Their Prey Drive

Some dogs have a very strong prey drive. You don’t take or “train” that out of them; rather you work with it. It can be especially challenging when working on their recall or teaching them to come when called. Be patient, consistent with training, and follow through with the command as they mature. You will gain their respect and pleasing you will become more important than whatever the prey may be.

The dog in the photo below has a strong prey drive whether or not the animal has blood flow. He downed a bear and though extremely exhausted, came when called, dragging the bear to his bed where he fell asleep.

Cesar Millan Trains Goldendoodle

Lola, a beautiful Goldendoodle belonging to a friend of mine living in Arizona, has been trained by Cesar Millan!  While I would like to receive a little credit for her obedient behavior, I have to admit the credit goes to Cesar, the Dog Whisperer (as if I needed to add his title).

The amazing aspect of her training is that she never met Cesar!  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.  The photos below tell the story and show that she is smarter than your average Goldendoodle!  Here is she is being “personally” trained by Cesar Millan.

I like to carry my leash but this dog looks like he is trying to play tug-of-war with Cesar.  Even I know that’s not a good idea!

Forget that loser dog, Cesar – look at me!  I’m Lola!  I luff you!

You say it, Cesar, and I’ll do it!  I’m a good girl!

Gotta’ Love The Dog Park!

When at a dog park, it’s not the dogs I am concerned about!  It’s their humans.  Dogs are excellent at being dogs.  Take them to a dog park without them responding to you, and you will really get to witness dogs in action.  They aren’t being bad by being a dog – they are doing what they know to do until we teach them to be what we call a “good dog.”  Dog parks are filled with more scents and pent-up energy than we can imagine.

I was working with an aggressive dog outside of the dog park.  I was a safe distance from the entry room with the dog nicely in a sit-stay.  A car drives up, opens their door, and lets three dogs run out off leash.  My guess is the dogs are not well-trained so trying to keep them on a leash to enter the park would have been a challenge.

All three dogs ran toward us.  I said nicely, “we are in training and the dog is aggressive toward dogs.”   May I remind dog park lovers that it’s not always a good situation to have dogs off leash charging toward dogs who are leashed without knowing about the dogs. That’s why before entering the park, the dogs have an area for leash removal.  There is absolutely no way of knowing every dog in every situation – especially, if someone is telling you they have a dog-aggressive dog.  A nice, friendly dog doesn’t make a dog-aggressive dog change it’s ways!

The man still could not get control of his dogs but kept assuring me that, “that one is friendly.”  Which one is “that one” and what about my saying several times this dog is aggressive didn’t he understand.  Fortunately, nothing happened.  He was swatting at the dog calling it bad, and if I had a spare leash, it would not have been put on the dog!

I write this as a reminder to everyone to be responsible with your dogs.  Have them on a leash if they are not trained to be off leash.   I know the dog park is the highlight of the day for some dogs, but that will soon change if there is an altercation that could have easily been prevented.

What’s In A Dog Bark

Again, I say dogs bark.  That’s what they will forever do.  Some feel the need to express vocally more than others, and can be worked with to reduce their anxiousness through proper behavior modification.

Lassie was known for actually “saying” something with a bark; i.e., “Timmy is in the well.”  “The barn is on fire.”  His people knew when he barked, it meant something.  Most of us wish that were the case with all dogs.  The bark does mean something to the dog, but may be lost in translation.  Like Lassie, dogs may bark as an alert to let you know someone is at the door or as a request to let you know they need to go outside.

While some dogs get this, others may need to be trained to let us know.  I have found that while my dogs are not reserved when it comes to barking for warning, they are tongue-tied when their water bowl is empty.  All random barking ceases as they sit quietly by the empty bowl waiting for me to look their way.

While we tend to think of barking as a dog’s form of communication, they may be relying on mental telepathy!

If you need assistance with an excessive, anxious barker, please contact me for guidance.

Retractable Leashes And Dog Training

Retractable leashes have their place.  That place is not during training.  While this leash seems to be very dog-friendly, it is not necessarily human-friendly, and does not provide the control most people need during training.  When your dog responds to you while on a walk, it won’t matter what type of collar or leash you choose.

If you’re intention in having your dog on a leash is to learn to listen, respond, and respect you, then don’t use retractable leashes.  I have heard from more than one person who has fractured their wrist by the handle when getting pulled by their dog (more about this below).

A favorite of mine is when someone approaches with two barking dogs who are pulling on the ever-lengthening thread toward my dogs (or dogs I am training) as they yell over the noise of their dogs’ vocal expression, “they’re friendly!”  My advice is to respond with, “mine aren’t!”  I use it all the time in order to keep them moving along down the road as I work with the dog who was the object of their attention to sit and stay as they pass.

You can also feel free to respond, “please keep walking, we’re in training.”  Most people will respect it even if their dog has no clue what the word “training” means.

There is no way of knowing if once the dogs greet and the leashes get entwined their won’t be an altercation.  It takes time to have a dog realize who is in charge and to listen to respond especially when an overly-anxious, uncontrolled dog is approaching.

This post isn’t so much about the negatives of retractable leashes as it is about the people using them without any sense of understanding the dog’s perspective and who is walking who.  A dog doesn’t need to be heeling all the time. They should be given that freedom to sniff and be a dog; however, you (or they) may be asking for trouble if they are allowed to have full freedom on the leash and they still pull you down the street in an anxious state.

If you use a retractable leash and want to know more about my thinking on their correct usage, please send a note. I am glad to answer your questions!

Here’s an article on retractable leashes from Consumer Reports.  Not intended as a scare tactic, but as information:  Retractable Leashes Pose Problems

Destruction of a Dog’s Spirit

Some people, trainers included, believe that dogs are just dogs.  They can be treated harshly and will be fine.  They can be left outside all of the time without being given attention, and be fine.  I guess it depends on your definition of fine.

Dogs aren’t human (duh, I know!)  They can, however, be treated in ways that destroy or, at a minimum, lessen their spirit or true nature.  This can happen if they are treated too much like a human, and it can and does happen if they are sensitive in nature and treated with excessive force.

I have been working with a sweet Doberman who was sent away for training.  She was trained alright.  She returned to her human, with her head down, ears flat, and looking as sad as a dog can look.  In just a few days, she is starting to act like a dog again.  More than that, she’s acting like who she is.  She hasn’t forgotten her commands (greatly needed as she is a service dog), but she is beginning to lift her head and receive praise rather than waiting for the force of a heavy-handed correction.

Dogs are like us!  Some are more sensitive than others, so not all techniques work the same on every dog.  It’s important to consider the breed when you are training.  A Golden Retriever or Lab can sit or lie down in an instant.  Great Danes, Dobermans, and Greyhounds are several of the breeds that sit and lie down in what may appear to be slow motion.  Harsh corrections for not responding quick enough will only serve to make them cower and work against the relationship you are hoping to establish with them.

Be open to options and varying opinions when training your dog.  There is more than one way to “train” a dog and it is certainly better to choose one that let’s your dog learn and still be the dog they are intended to be!

Can Dogs Be Insecure?

Dogs are similar to us when it comes to needing to feel secure.  They may have a past of abuse or may be genetically hard wired to be timid or insecure.  Everyone knows and appreciates what it means to hear someone say, “I’ve got your back.”  That someone accepts you for who you are; even, or especially when you feel insecure.  Olive, a very special Staffordshire Bull Terrier (with an abusive past), was openly insecure and needed someone to have her back in more ways than one.

In her case, it was more that she needed to have someone’s back – literally,  to be able to relax and trust what was going on around her.  If you don’t think dogs need a connection to feel secure, think again.

In this photo, Olive was finding comfort on her life-long companion, Chapin, who always allowed Olive to find her “calm” while resting on top of Chapin.

After Chapin passed, the next two photos show how Olive tried to find that same security in Zoe.  It appears that Olive knew something very valuable – they had her back while she had theirs.

Dogs And Instinct

As a constant observer of dogs, I am still amazed at how shifts in their behavior occur as they mature. It is interesting to see how at times they will appear to be practicing to be dominant. I’ll explain using two separate incidences.

I was working with a dog who is a big fan of chasing anything that moves or may move or used to move! On this occasion, we were making progress with him when I looked down to notice his hackles were up. I couldn’t help but think the timing was off. Something in him triggered this response and he even seemed unsure about his behavior. Natural, though it is, I believe he was in a sense trying out his maturing instincts. The dog didn’t appear to feel threatened. It was either a delayed or premature response. Practice perhaps?

Recently, my own dog who is 18 months of age, kicked up his back legs for the very first time. It was a macho move, but he was awkward and the action appeared misplaced. He looked up at me as if to say, “look, I’m kicking my legs up!” It was like he was practicing for when he would need to show his new-found dominant move. My other thought was that he had witnessed this strut as done by his little (tiny in comparison) brother, who exhibited this macho-manner after nearly every potty break.

I believe they are trying on things much like when you are fortunate enough to see a child as they catch their reflection in a mirror practicing a confident look or pose. It’s not a necessary posture at that moment, but it may be and one needs to be prepared!

As you enjoy the many changes that occur in the life of your dog, watch carefully for those times when they appear to be growing into their instincts.

If your maturing dog is exhibiting new behaviors and you aren’t sure how to handle them, please submit your question in the box to the right (I share it with Melody).