Biting Puppy – How to Stop It

Dog Quote: To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
….Aldous Huxley

Puppies love to bite.
They do it naturally and may be something they must be taught not to do. For obvious reasons, this needs to be addressed while they are young. What could be considered an “accident” could still inflict a lot of pain and an unwanted behavior from your dog.

It may seem fun and funny to have a puppy biting but a full-grown dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to children if biting becomes a habit. Games like tug-of-war can encourage a mouthing behavior and should be avoided unless you know for certain that you will “win!”

Puppy teeth are extremely sharp. They lose those teeth only to gain the new-and-improved larger teeth! Dogs have immense strength in their jaws and even a playful nip can do permanent damage to a child. It can also lead to your child being fearful of dogs.

Generally, puppies are taught to control their biting from their mothers. In most cases, we get puppies as pets that have been taken from their mothers at a very young age and it is up to us to teach them. It helps to let your puppy socialize with other dogs as they will quickly learn from their elders, provided they have been taught well, that the desire to bite needs to be curbed to avoid retaliation and an ensuing fight.

If your pup starts to use your hand as a chew toy, you can try saying “ouch!” in a high-pitched voice. Don’t pull away but rather move your hand away slowly and give them an appropriate chew toy. Usually, when you respond quickly with a “hey, that hurt” sound, they will back off.

Children may need to be reminded as often as the puppy that allowing the dog to chew on our hands, arms, or feet is not good behavior. Stuffed Kong toys, Nylabones, and things like fabric and rope chew toys are a much better option.

Dog Behavior Problems – Change Your Expectations!

Many times when I’m with a client I hear myself asking them to lower their expectations.This is especially true if they are dealing with the “oh-we-forgot-what-a-puppy-is-like” syndrome. It’s a fairly common syndrome in retirement communities.

However, there is a time to raise your expectations. Expectation is a dangerous word. Much like the word “potential” it can put a lot of pressure on the object of the word. When you know what you expect, so will they. If you have no expectations, they will gladly oblige.

When you train a puppy and it learns all of the nifty commands – sit, down, leave it, etc., don’t forget to use them when needed. As dogs mature, they will have hormonal shifts and temperment changes and you may feel the need to go back to basics. Raise your expectation.

Remind your dog of what it knows. Leash on or leash off, expect a response to your command and follow through. You will be so glad as the next hormonal shift happens or the next “they’ve never done this before” behavior shows up.

Your dog will match your expectations — hmmmm? I think people are like that too. =)

The Dogs Who Understood A Tortoise

I was at the shelter working with some timid dogs and look who walked by! Timid behavior is timid behavior whether you are a dog or a tortoise.

This old guy “quickly” hid under my car. He must have heard that if he came by the shelter, he could get some free advice on expanding his socialization skills. Little did he know that he was in good company with these pups.

How wonderful to see this native creature walking in the desert. With his introduction to civilization, he may decide that his instincts were right – stay buried! If he would have said “hey, follow me, I’ve got a great hole to crawl into, they would have joined him!

For those of you who don’t know – tortoises are an endangered species and have to be licensed. It was a brave day for the timid dogs and one amazing timid tortoise.

Seven Key Reasons to Leash Train Your Dog

Why use a leash? Is it really necessary?

I live in a rural area where most people own several acres. They leave the dogs outside most of the time so they are not adequately socialized. They’re great at being watch dogs.

Last year there was a fire and people were scrambling to get their dogs out safely. You can imagine how easy it is to put a collar and leash on a dog that hasn’t been required to wear one in the past. Add to that the fear and panic of the family because of the approaching fire.

Here’s some top reasons to leash train:

• In case of emergency, your dog will willingly wear a collar and leash.
• A collar with an ID tag is notice to others that this dog has a home.
• You can take your dog places (even if it’s just to the vet’s office).
• Your dog will learn that you are in control and have greater respect.
• It’s much easier to train your dog in basic obedience if first using a collar and leash.
• When the leash comes off, the dog still respects your authority.
• Your dog might like (need) the added attention and structure!

Here I am making sure that my dogs all remember their leash training

GOOD DOGS!

Build Trust Using Dog Treats!

Why use treats? You certainly don’t have to. With some dogs, it is a way to bond. A way to get them to focus. If they are willing to take the treat, it can indicate they trust you.

For me, there are no absolutes. I use treats; however, if the client doesn’t want to or the dog just won’t take them, I don’t. A dog will not take food from someone they don’t trust or if they are scared or nervous.

So, if they begin to take treats during training when they first didn’t, it can be an indication that things are shifting for them.

Treats aren’t bribes. They are rewards. They are also a way of bonding and with some dogs, it is a moment of celebration for us and them. Here’s a “cool” story that is sure to warm your heart.

How are Dogs and Kids the Same?

Having grown up in the 50’s (I know! Hard to believe!) , there were many long road trips in the back seat of our Chevy wagon as we traveled cross country to visit our Grandparents. If you have ever had this experience, you understand.

The back of the wagon contained an array of Archie comic books and Mad Magazines. There also existed two invisible lines. They separated the space between my brothers and I. You DO NOT cross the line. Not even a finger. God bless Mom and Dad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So . . .I was watching the interplay of my dogs as they lie on their beds and floor. If the one on the bed decides that an invisible line has been drawn, a hair better not touch their pillow that doesn’t belong to them.

At times, they will all curl up together and it’s so sweet. Much like children, that can change in a nanosecond and it’s not in your best interest to put a paw on a bed that someone else put “dibs” on.

It appears that the invisible line is not a back-seat exclusive!

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Dogs bark. People talk. Some days I’d rather hear the former rather than the latter. Other days – well, you know. I thought I’d share a favorite dog joke.

Melody and Violet were both outside looking up at the moon and barking.

Melody asks Violet, “What’s that?”

Violet responds, “I don’t know, but if we bark at it all night, it goes away in the morning.”

Enjoy a fun song:

Who Let The Dogs Out

How Not to Foster Cats

I have always said that “I’m a dog person.” There’s an air of dogs are better in that statement; or at least there was for me. Don’t get me wrong. I love all creatures, but when it comes to which one I chose to live with, dogs were first choice.

Until. . . I started hearing about all of the kittens being left at the shelter, if they were lucky enough to get that far. Cats, along with dogs, are victims of foreclosures. That along with the many kittens that are set free without being spayed or neutered – and so it goes as the population grows.

I decided to foster some kittens. No worries! I checked with the dogs and they were fine with the idea. Two little boy kitties were at the shelter. They were too young and too small to be “fixed” or adopted. “I’ll take them – temporarily.”

For those of you who have had good intentions about fostering, may be having a similar experience to me when the fosters never seem to leave.

I tell myself that if the “right” family comes along, I will let them go. It’s funny how that hasn’t happened yet. I think I’ve joined the ranks of foster victim.

I recommend fostering. . .the real kind!

The Key Reason to Touch and Socialize Your Dog

As I mentioned previously, there are a lot of four-legged victims as a result of the many foreclosures. Along with older dogs, there are puppies and pregnant dogs being left behind. Forget that there isn’t enough food for all of them, the fact that they are not being socialized can affect them for the rest of their lives.

When dogs have not been socialized adequately, the result is that they will back away when someone reaches to pet them. As they tuck their tails, round their ears and perhaps squat, their body language would indicate that they have been abused. They have. It just isn’t the way we typically define abuse. They were never hit. They were never touched in any way.

Many studies have proven the need for touch for all creatures. Touch boosts our immune system, and the lack of it causes emotional and behavioral problems. It is important for puppies to recieve nurturing from their Moms and for this nurturing and bonding to continue through human touch.

Neglected dogs may also develop obsessive-compulsive behaviors. They may walk in circles, go through a “ritual” prior to eating, and may be protective of food if they had to fend for themselves previously. All of these can be dealt with as they learn to trust and establish new behaviors.

Once they are brought into a home and slowly socialized and begin to trust human touch, they will improve!

My last post featured Melody – a little Yorkie that was at the shelter. She was so reserved and afraid. By watching her, I can assume some of what her past was like. She has a few rituals for reasons known only to her.

She now sits on the floor by me waiting for a little affection. It’s a bit of a tease because she will pull away. Wanting affection and praise and so afraid of what might be attached to it. We have a promise that she will never be mistreated again. (There are a lot of animals – and humans – that need to hear that promise.)

Melody is an example of how trust can change your life!

Abandoned Dog Can’t Speak

This little Yorkie was given up to a local shelter. She’s not special because she’s a desirable mini-dog – she’s special because she was used only to breed. It’s not clear how many litters she’s had or how she was treated.

She is (was) terribly afraid of human touch; especially if you were to reach for her before she was ready to approach. It’s not likely that someone will adopt her with this behavior quirk. So, I brought her home.

Once home, I noticed that she sounded like her bark was filtered. She’s been debarked. Then, there’s her teeth. She soon trusted me enough to let me take a look in her mouth. I quickly saw that she only has four teeth in the front. No wonder her tiny tongue sticks out. There’s nothing to hold it back. This is a relatively young dog so it’s not an age issue. It’s an abuse and neglect issue.

I realized that this little girl doesn’t need me to feel sad or sorry for her. She needs love and dog rehabilitation. Within 12 hours of bringing her home, I was able to put a harness and leash on her. I could pick her up, walk her on the leash, clean her face, look in her mouth, and check her ears without her recoiling.

Never underestimate the power of the Spirit, be it Human or Canine. And, the two of us together can be an amazing combination!

She will be “fine.” It’s good that we can’t sit and talk about her past. We might get stuck. Dogs don’t stay stuck in their stuff unless we do. They live in the moment and deal with what that brings. I’m learning a lot from the shelter dogs.

I recommend it – if you can put your thoughts aside of how horrible it is, you might experience the love of a little girl like Melody.