Stop And Smell The Roses

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!

Sicker Than A Dog?

As my dog ran inside eating something not intended for dog consumption, I said, “drop it!  You’ll be sicker than a…..a…..a dog?”  I quickly changed it to sicker than a human.  Generally speaking, I believe dogs are much healthier than their humans.  Considering the amazing food they have for dogs and that the requirements for food-quality are higher than on human food, dogs aren’t what I think of when someone is sick.

A dog can’t be a hypochondriac or feign a soar throat to get out of obedience class.  They may drink their water too fast, but they don’t typically over-indulge and regret it the next day.   We may quickly use antibacterial wipes after petting a dog, but I would imagine that the medicines in the cabinet are not for the dog.

Next time someone tells you they are sicker than a dog, I wouldn’t worry too much.

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.

Basic Dog Obedience

I receive a lot of calls regarding dogs who are uncontrollable (their human’s words) on a leash when out in public.  If the dog sees a bicycle or another dog, they pull and “go crazy!”  One of my first questions is have they done basic obedience with their dog?

They sound a little skeptical, as they respond hesitantly, “We took him through the puppy class at PetSmart and he knows how to sit and lie down and that stuff.”   I say, “Good, we can work with that.”  Puppy classes are a great foundation for teaching your dog to listen and respond to you.  It doesn’t matter if your dog was trained in the basics years ago, they will never forget it.  It’s the human that forgets how to use these tools in every day life with their dog.

For starters, remind yourself and your dog of what you both know.  And, that is they know how to respond to you when asked.  You may need to work a little harder on the leash training and teaching your dog to walk in a relaxed state by your side.  Once they do, when faced with a distraction of any kind, they are more likely to respond when asked to “sit and stay” or whatever is expected of them at the moment.

If you are having issues with your dog out in public and you have been through basic obedience, think of how to put that to use when outside on a leash.  I’m sure you didn’t initially put the time into the training only to have a dog who doesn’t listen when it was really necessary.

If I can provide additional tips or you are need of specific guidance, please send a note in the box to the right.

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

A Dog Who Can Read

Perhaps you saw the segment on Animal Planet where a teacher taught his Labrador to read.  The dog would read words printed on a flash card, and amazingly enough, would follow through with the instruction on the card!  This is impressive. 

I have seen a lot of amazing demonstrations of a dog’s intelligence, but the following tops them
 all. . .my dog, Mac, can read books!  In fact, he reads until he falls asleep. I think
I heard him say, “if only I had thumbs, turning pages would be so much easier.” Now I know what he was talking about.

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!

Wordless Wednesday