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!
I tried and tried to get the dogs to stay awake to help celebrate the coming of the New Year 2010. As their heads bobbed and soft snoring could be heard around the room, I decided to join them. This year, I would celebrate like dogs do.
They go to bed every night and wake up every morning without a care. They sleep when it’s night (and day) and don’t complain when they wake up – whether it’s in the middle of the night or at the dawn of a day. They don’t get anxious or worry that they didn’t do enough last year or what they will do in the coming year.
While it is not exactly how I see my life going this year, it’s a great way to start every day. Every day is a new day and every new day makes a new year. I looked at the dogs and said, “Thanks for that awareness.” They replied, “What the heck are you talking about…where’s our breakfast?” Enough said. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Not all dogs are good at being guard dogs. A barking dog is a huge deterrent to anyone entering a place they aren’t invited to enter. Mac, a large Labradoodle, is boisterous and can be intimidating because of his size; however, I am almost certain his bark is his way of saying, “hey, look at me…I can bark.” End of story. How do you know if you have a guard dog?
Where a dog chooses to lie down and rest, tells you a lot about their protective instincts. Ever notice how they seem to pick the same area or position even when you encourage them to lie elsewhere? Perhaps they choose the foot of the bed rather than snuggling up next to you.
I am not only referring to whether they are on the sofa or on the floor, but rather where they choose to be positioned in relationship to you. If I’m on the computer or seated in a room working, one of my dogs will almost always have her back to me and she is facing out so she can keep a watchful eye on what is happening around us. She instinctively will position herself as the guard.
Another dog, will always have his back to something (a wall or the couch) when lying down. He is able to watch what’s happening around him while keeping his back protected. He is far more concerned about his back than mine!
It is interesting to watch and learn from our dogs as they share their pack instincts with us. They are paying a lot more attention to their positioning in relationship to us than we may know. My lovely Chapin, a sweet Pit Bull, would have gladly told anyone who cared to break in that I was upstairs and that my purse was in the kitchen, but please don’t make her get up from the chaise lounge.
If a guard dog is all you want, maybe you should try a home security system. If you get a dog as a deterrent because of their bark, most will do a good job of that. They will also be a great companion and given healthy attention and guidance, be there for you whether or not they will protect you from all harm.
In this pack, I have what I refer to as the early warning system (barkers) and the backup – the ones who might do more than just bark. I hope I never have to find out!
It is fascinating to read the studies on the analysis of dogs and their expression of emotion. We, of course, refer to emotion in the sense that we experience it. Dogs; however, live in the moment so their emotion may be more raw than ours. I don’t think they are capable of deceiving us by expressing an emotion they aren’t really feeling at the moment. They don’t pretend as well as we do!
There are fun photographs of dogs smiling. And they do! Some more than others, but it still qualifies as a smile. I also have seen more than my share of grumpy-doggy face. The “it’s you again” look on some dogs when I (the trainer) show up for another training session can be very comical – for us humans more so than the dog.
With the cooler temperatures, the dogs seem quite content to cuddle on their beds a little longer than normal. And, some days, I think they get up on the wrong side of their cedar-chipped, double-organic-fiber-stuffed, memory foam dog beds! Perhaps they have bad dreams and restless nights too; so, I will cut them some slack.
Regardless, I think it’s fun to notice that much like a little child, a dog’s expression of “emotion” shifts in a nano-second. In a flash, they go from grump-dog to tail-waggin’-ready-for-a-walk dog. I wish it were that easy for us two-leggers! Once again, we learn from our dogs how blessed it is to live in the moment.
Is this an ad your dog has placed on Craig’s List or CareerBuilder? Are they looking for someone to be in charge so they can relinquish the responsibility? Are they acting out and resisting your instruction?
Maybe your dog isn’t yet savvy enough to post such an ad, but if you have a dog, there is the need for a confident leader…is it you? If not, who is it? In the words of Cesar Millan, dogs need and respect a calm, assertive leader.
My dogs need to be reminded at times that the position of leader has been filled, and it just so happens that in our home the job belongs to the only one who walks on two legs. I thought since they need to be reminded, maybe you do to.
The primary purpose and goal of my work as a trainer/behaviorist, is to show humans who their dog is and what they are capable of learning. Don’t wait for your dogs to fill the position of leader. Most people fill some position in their life where they lead another. It may take practice, but put yourself in that mindset as you provide (calm, assertive) guidance for your dog.
They may resist at first, but with consistent behavioral expectations from you, they will respect you and remove the job opening!
You may not have thought of a dog as having patience. Well, they do – or at least that’s what I’m calling it.
If one of my dogs has a toy, regardless of the five other toys available, someone will want that exact toy at that exact moment. That’s no surprise. Of course, they want what the other one has. Among these boys, It’s a constant dance of who dominates who.
After a couple of human-to-dog interventions, they know not to mess with one another, or everyone loses (as in I take the toy). See, it’s my toy, and I am kind enough to let them have it. I have also established the rules that go along with toy-play.
This morning, Mac is chewing on a toy as Moby stands patiently by looking for either a safe “in” to get the stuffed creature, or for Mac to get bored and walk away. He will wait longingly for quite awhile before he loses interest. He doesn’t make a sound…waiting patiently for the right moment. I think he actually thinks he “won” if Mac relinquishes the object without care.
I like the thought of that – particularly as we enter the Holiday season. It’s like saying, “I really want what you have, but I’ll just wait patiently while you enjoy it, and when you don’t want it any more, I’ll take it.”
Thoughts of peace and patience to you this season!
