Digging 101

Digging can be an annoying problem to deal with.  It can ruin your backyard and offer an escape route under the fence.  But why do puppies and dogs dig?  A lot of breeds are diggers; terrier breeds for instance love to dig.  A lot of the terriers were bred for hunting purposes, and they mainly hunted rodents.  So, to get to the rodent they were hunting, they developed great digging skills, lucky you!! J

But this is not the only reason why dogs dig.  Let’s face it; digging is fun, especially when you’re board.  You’re probably thinking, but the dog is outside, how can he possibly be bored??  Boredom can be a result of many different things, including lack of mental stimulation, lack of exercise, and lack of excitement.  Proper exercise and mental stimulation will tire a dog out.  A dog won’t want to escape as much if he is too tired to do so.

Yes, your backyard is boring!!  If I put you in a room for exercise day after day after day without changing the scenery or toys available, you would eventually get bored, right?  And just beyond the fence…. oh look, a new playmate to meet (dogs and people passing by).  So how can you curb instinct and keeping the dog interested enough to stay in your yard?    Buy him a sandbox.

Buying him a sandbox provides him his own area to dig in.  This will encourage your dog to dig in appropriate places.  In the beginning, place new chew toys and bones sticking out of the sandbox so he sees them.  This will entice him to dig, plus give him a rewarding toy.  Change up the toys and bones so you keep everything new and exciting.   Once he gets the idea where to dig, you can start burying the toys even further in the sand.  This makes it a little harder to find, making him use his nose and brain to find the toys.  You should soon have a happy and tired dog on your hands, who will want to stay in his yard.

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."

- Gene Hill

socializing 101

Socializing your dog from an early age is very important.  A puppy has a very short window to help it view its surroundings as a positive thing.  The time frame in which this window of opportunity closes is at about 4 months of age.  If you adopt a dog at an older age, you can still help it be more comfortable with its surroundings, but it might be more difficult and you may not fully remove that fear. 

Once given the o.k. by the vet, the puppy should be out and about, meeting all different types of people and dogs.  People should be petting and giving your puppy treats to help build a positive association with strangers.  Kids are a very important part of this socialization period as well.  Kids tend to move fast and cause a dog to become nervous around them.  Kids also need to be taught how to behave around the puppy.  Some pet the puppy too rough or pull on the tail or ears of the dog.   Kids and puppies or dogs should not be left alone unsupervised, I don’t care how well behaved your dog or puppy is.  All it takes is one time for your child to accidently hurt the dog or tease the dog, and the dog may retaliate in its own defense and bite.

Group classes and daycares are wonderful; they allow for supervised socialization with other friendly dogs.  You should be very careful as to which dogs you allow them to play with.  The dog needs to be pretty friendly; you don’t want the puppy to have a bad experience while meeting a new dog because this could cause the puppy to fear other dogs.  That being said, many people get very nervous when dogs correct each other and puppies.  It is ok for a dog to correct another dog or a puppy, this is how a puppy learns what is appropriate behavior or not.  If you are unsure of what is o.k. and what is not, the daycares and classes can help you with that.  They are professionals and know what to look for.

With a well socialized puppy, you will help it grow up into a confident adult dog.  Next week we will talk about potty training for puppies and dogs.  "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras

body language 101

Dog behavior is so tricky to really understand and takes lots of practice to fully understand and know what you see.  This week’s blog will hopefully give a little insight to owners on how to read their dog.   First on the agenda is a common rude behavior that owners often miss.  Have you ever walked your dog, stopped to talk to someone else who was walking their dog and the dogs seem fine;  then all of a sudden, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK from one or both dogs?  Chances are, while you were talking and not watching your dog, one or both dogs were having a staring contest.  It would be as if I got right in your face and kept staring at you.  You would begin to feel uncomfortable and probably tell me off.  Well, that’s what it is like for dogs, and the one that starts the raucous is usually the one to get blamed.   But if you watched closely, I bet it was the other dog that started it because he was staring.   The best thing you can do if you catch two dogs staring at each other is break up the stare by first distracting the dog, then once you have his attention, take your dog and walk in the opposite direction.  If you pull on Fido’s leash when he’s in a hard stare, the dog feels the tension on the leash and is more likely to react by lunging, barking, and growling.  The problem though, is dogs just don’t think staring is rude from other dogs.  We, as humans, feel that eye contact is very important.  But a lot of times, staring at a dog, or approaching a dog and giving him eye contact can be very threatening.  So if pooch gets startled with strangers, make sure the person doesn’t give pooch any eye contact, this might be all that needs to change for pooch to feel comfortable with strangers.

Another behavior that is misunderstood is a wagging tail.  Not all wagging tails mean that a dog is happy.  If a tail is stiffly wagging, almost like a pole moving back and forth, that doesn’t mean the dog is happy.  It means that the dog is highly aroused and agitated, and I would not let my dog or I greet a dog at that point, especially if he was staring at me too.  In order for a wagging tail to be considered a happy one, the body and tail of the dog must be relaxed;  like that wiggly body we see in the puppies or dogs that are so excited and lick us to death.  Remember the stiffer a dog’s body is, the more cautious you should be in approaching that dog.  Or if it’s your dog that seems stiff, the more cautious I would be in letting others meet your dog at that point.  Just because your dog likes one dog or person, doesn’t mean he likes everyone, so watch his body.

One more thing for body language that I would like to discuss is when the hackles are raised.  The hackles are the fur on the dog’s back by the shoulder blades.  When the fur is raised, or standing straight up on the dog’s back, it does not automatically mean the dog is aggressive or going to act aggressively.  It means the dog is aroused.  This can go either way.  So just be on the lookout, that’s all.  An aroused dog can be aroused for various reasons; they are having a really good time playing and are just amped up.  Or, they may see something that they feel threatened by and become aroused.  If the hackles are up and the dog’s body language is wiggly, like that cute wiggle-worm of a puppy, it’s all good.  But, if the hackles are up, the dog is still and stiff, and doing a hard stare, then I would try to get Fido’s attention, and get him away from whatever it is that’s causing him to be aroused, because the next thing that is coming, is either one or a combo of barking, lunging, growling, snapping.

You can help your furry friend feel much more comfortable in many situations.  If you notice your dog feel uncomfortable or threatened in a situation, the best thing you can do is remove your dog in the opposite direction and get him away from whatever is making him feel uncomfortable.  Getting his attention, then walking away from the situation is best.  Keeping a relaxed leash is very important too.  I didn’t say give him the whole leash; just keep it relaxed, no tension.  You can keep a short and relaxed leash.  Tension on a leash adds tension to your dog, adding more fuel to the fire so to speak.

There is so much more I could go on about dog behavior.   However, I felt that these behaviors were the most easy to see and help owners get a better idea of how to help their pooch out in certain situations.  Next week, we will talk about socialization.  A well socialized puppy/dog has better coping skills than dogs that have not been properly socialized or exposed to many situations.  I thought this saying so fit this week, "When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?" – Anonymous  Well, hopefully now you know, or at least have a better idea.  Hope your Christmas was a blessed one, talk to you next week.

food guarding 101

     Previously, resource guarding over objects was discussed.   But what if your dog resource guards his food?  Most dogs that guard their food are worried when people or another dog is close by while they are eating.  The dog usually will stop eating and hover over their food bowl.   Some dogs may even growl a bit, and others may bite. 

     Dogs that resource guard their food and are willing to bite to guard their food most likely will wind up being euthanized.  It is usually a poor outcome for the dog once he bites.  So what can you do to help prevent this from happening to your beloved companion?   If the dog resource guards food only around other dogs, the best way to settle this is to feed the dogs in a separate room.  Besides separating dogs during feedings,   you need to monitor them while they eat.  So that way, if one finishes eating first, he doesn’t go over to the other dog and stare him down until that dog is finished eating.  A dog staring down another is very rude behavior and can be the start of a fight. 

     If your dog has problems when you approach him while he eats, start hand feeding him.  Yes, that’s right.  Hand feeding does a few different things.  It lets the dog know that you provide the food, not take it away.  This allows the dog to learn to trust you.  Hand feeding also shows you are a leader.  It is a misconception that the leader of the pack does a whole bunch of “aggressive” or “dominant” displays.  They have been misread by humans for quite some time.  In fact, what makes a leader the leader is because that individual member of the pack posses the skills to keep the others alive, including ways to find or provide food, which is what you are doing.

     This is a good idea to not only hand feed Fiesty Fido, but also the adorable sweet new dog or puppy.  If your dog is one that clearly has issues, discuss this with a trainer.  Make sure the trainer you are working with uses positive methods.  Trainers that use punishment based training, dominant training, or electric collars usually make the situation worse.  And if you clearly see something that your trainer is doing that you don’t think is right or fair, please stand up to the trainer.  Please be your dog’s advocate.  Just because they have TRAINER on the end of their title, doesn’t mean that they always know what’s best.  Do research to find out what methods they use and their philosophies are on training before you hire them.  Also, find out if they have any references.

      The steps for hand feeding are as follows.  First have the bowl literally on the counter, away from where the dog has issues, which is where the bowl usually is, on the ground.  If the issues are really bad, such as the dog has already bitten, do this in a completely separate room.   Pull the kibble from the dogs bowl and toss him the food . This is to be done for both meals, for several days.  Then you can move to holding the bowl and pulling food out and hand feeding, for another 3-4 days.  Then, still hand feeding, letting the dog feed out of your hand while you hand is over the bowl, for several days.  Last step is to have bowl on floor and hand feed out of the bowl for several days.  If for any reason, you move on to the next step, and let’s say your dog seems to do better and then gets worse, you’ve moved on too quickly.  Go back to the previous step and stay there for another week.  If you have had to do this training in a separate room, once you get to the last step and the dog is doing well, then you can start the process in the room where the dog normally eats.  The process should go a little quicker, since the dog is now familiar with you hand feeding him.  Just remember not to move too quickly, and if your dog starts showing signs of being uneasy, move back to the previous step.   Do not have kids do this.   Instead, once your dog is comfortable with eating on the floor while your hand feeding him, you can have the kids walk at a safe distance from the dog and treat the dog every time the kids passes while the dog is eating.  This will make the dog think that every time the kid walks by something good is going to happen.  Once your dog shows that he feels comfortable with you hand feeding him and being around his food bowl while you eat, intermittently drop a good treat in his food bowl  while he’s eating so he doesn’t forget that hands being around his food is a good thing.  Next week, we will discuss a little bit about doggy language. 

     This saying I absolutely love, "He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog."
- Gene Hill

Luring 101

     Luring is when we take a treat to the dog's nose and guide them into a position that we want them in, and as soon as they are doing what we want, the dog gets the treat.  Now, I know a lot of you out there have several concerns about this concept:  1) my dog will get too fat, 2) That means I'll always have to use the lure, 3) physically putting him into position works, so why can't I just do that?  And please if there are more out there please let me know and I'll address them as well, these are just the few common ones that seem to keep cropping up.

     

     First, your dog will not get too fat.  Here's why.  At home, unless doing the DROP which you will use tasty treats, you will use your dog's food.  You will be feeding your dog less of his kibble than what he usually gets, and use the remaining for training.  If you use raw food to feed your dog, just switch to the freeze-dried raw food patties for one of the meals, and give slightly less than recommended for feeding, while using the rest for training.  Now, when your outside and working with your dog, will kibble work? Probably not, use the treats for those times.  Having the dog work on an empty stomach helps too.  Train before you feed the meals, not after.  Your dog will be hungry and will want to find out what he has to do to get that food!!

      Second, you will not have to always use the lure.  This is how to fade away the lure.  Let's say your teaching Fido to sit.  You start off by placing the food directly on his nose.  Start moving your hand up, while keeping the treat attached to Fido's nose.  His head goes up, butt goes down, and boom he gets the treat.  This would be repeated several times with food in your hand until he sat immediately each and every time for at least 10 times in a row.    Notice, I didn't say SIT.  There is no point in me saying SIT when he doesn't even know the word.  Teach the behavior, then the word.  Much easier and less frustrating for both you and your dog.  Now that Fido is sitting each and every time, repeat the above without the food in your hand.  Have the food in your pocket.  As soon as his butt hits the floor, simultaneously say SIT, and reach into your pocket and give him a treat.  After repeating without the food in your hand and getting a successful sit 10 times in a row, your hand signal will be a palm-up, upward motion with your hand.  This also helps you from having to keep your hand attached to Fido's nose.  I would not attempt to intermittently reward right away because you want that behavior solid.  Intermittent rewarding should only start after several weeks and should not be done too often.  Besides, would you work for free all the time?

      Third; physically putting Fido into position.  Why I'm not a fan of this.  Has anyone, say your parents, made you sit down by physically pushing down on your shoulders?  Doesn't feel good, and I bet you got a little nervous, maybe even scared.  Fido feels the same way, and  besides, it's just plain rude.  This does not help to build a relationship that your dog can trust.  Tell me, if someone wanted you to do something, which way would make you feel good inside; being forced into it, or being coaxed with a reward?

We talked about resorce guarding, but one sub-category that I would like to delve into next week is food guarding, which can be a very dangerous problem for both your dog.  Until then, "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive."  ~Gilda Radner

Resource Guarding 101

     So Last week we talked about chewing.  I had mentioned that, unless absolutely necessary, not to pull anything out of your dogs mouth.  Two reasons, one it could lead to an expensive vet bill, and second; a bite from your beloved pet.  Notice I said COULD, but I don't like to play rush and roulette, so, I look at these as my only outcomes.  

    Let me explain how and why the two above scenarios come about.  First, let me leave your favorite desert out.  But there are two things;  one it's not for you, and two, you don't know it's not for you because you don't speak English.  The desert is, let's say, your shoes for the dog and chocolate cake for us.  So, chocolate cake is available at all times (remember, so are your shoes; otherwise you wouldn't be reading this and I wouldn't need to blog about this :) ) and every time you start eating the cake I come by and snatch it away, and I keep doing it; day, after day, after day.  Eventually, you'll get mad, or you'll try eating it a lot faster so I can't take it away, right?  Your dog/puppy does the same thing.  She thinks, "Oh boy, I better hurry up and swallow that nice fluffy tug toy (a sock), before dad comes and snatches it!"  And now we get a nice vet bill because our little puppy can't poop.  Worst case scenario, your puppy/dog thinks, "There is no way in heck I'm giving this up, it's mine!!"  This last scenario leads to something called resource guarding, which is anything the dog deems valuable and will fight to keep it.  If you are lucky, your dog will give you some warning, such as she stops chewing and gives a hard, still stare as she slightly leans her head over her possession.  Other warnings include showing teeth and growling, and air snapping; where the dog appears to bite the air.  If your dog is displaying any of these signs, call your vet to direct you to a trainer.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not let this go, and for heaven's sake do not use harsh methods, such as putting dogs into a submissive roll, or pinning the dogs down,  it will only make it worse.  In the meantime, respect your dog, and be grateful she is giving you warnings, because the next thing that may happen if you don't listen, is a bite.  Don't panic either, chances are she won't bite;  if you don't snatch what she's got away from her.

     When we do exchange inappropriate objects for appropriate ones, make sure the one you are giving has more value than the one you are taking away.   Again, get advice from a trainer that can work with you if your dog/puppy is showing any problems with resource guarding.  For those of you who aren't having problems and want to prevent the problems; here is what you need to work on.

     It is easier to exchange  what the puppy is chewing on for food.  When I say food, I don't mean dry kibble, I mean string cheese, hot dogs, tasty dog treats such as freeze-dried liver, or left over chicken (without the bone).  Yes this is all ok, I will be talking about nutrition in a future blog.  First we must perfect this with a toy that she plays with; I like to use the tug toy.  While you are playing tug, make sure you hold on to the toy and offer her the piece of hot dog (or other tasty treat) with your other hand and place the treat right to her nose.  Hold on to the treat until she lets go of the toy.  Once she spits the toy out immediately give her the treat.  After doing this several times, she will start automatically spitting out the object for the treat.  Now you can add the command DROP.  While she is holding on to the tug toy, bring the treat to her nose, say DROP simultaneously, wait for her to spit out the object and give her the treat.

     Next week I will talk about luring, using a treat  to guide the dog into what we are trying to have them do.  This is what we did for the drop.  I will also give tips on how to fade away, or not use, the lure.  Until then, "Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job." - Franklin P Jones

Chewing 101

     Whether you have a new puppy or dog, chewing can be very damaging.  First, why do dogs and puppies chew?  Teething, boredom, lack of mental and physical stimulation, normal activity for dogs--and a healthy one, and to get our attention.  Now, you may ask yourself, but I always yell at the dog for chewing my slippers, how is that giving him attention?  If you yell and chase puppy, then your yelling may seem like a play growl and a bluff, and puppy says "game on," and the chase begins.  That is giving him attention.  Same goes for the older dog.  So, what can you do?  First, when your puppy or dog is chewing on something that he shouldn't have, exchange it for something appropriate.  Never, ever just grab things out of the pup's/dog's mouth, unless absolutely necessary.  We will get into that next week.  Always exchange what he shouldn't be chewing on with something appropriate, such as raw hides, bully sticks, and hooves.  Second, play chase with appropriate toys.  He will be more likely to continue to grab appropriate things, rather than your shoes, when he sees what gets him your attention.
     To relieve boredom, because most of us need to work, provide him with good chewing stuff.  Kongs are wonderful.  So are the sterilized hollow bones that you can find at your local pet stores.  I like to fill the kongs or the bones with either peanut butter, cheese whiz, or moist dog food and place them in a plastic bag in the freezer.  In a few hours, you have a hard tasty treat that keeps your dog occupied while your gone and gives them an activity to do that is healthy for their gums...chewing!
     Last but not least, make sure your dog is getting enough physical and mental stimulation.  Yes, mental stimulation is important too.  Have you tried learning something new that was hard and felt exhausted?  Guess what, same thing happens to our furry companions.  Teaching them something new and reviewing things that they already know on a daily basis helps tire them out.  Physical exercise is also important.  Brisk, long walks, not leisurely ones, and several rounds of fetch will help.  When the puppy/dog is tired, they are less likely to get into trouble.  One final note for this week, always secure the things of value and make sure that the puppy and dog do not have access to them; also meaning--don't leave them unsupervised!!!.  You wouldn't leave a pill bottle out for a child to grab, so think of your new furry friend the same way.  Your dog is like a child, they don't know the house rules, and they don't speak the language,  so puppy/dog proof your house!!!  Until they learn, don't give them the opportunity.  Until next week,  "In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."- Edward Hoagland