Why you should teach your dog their name?

Dogs know their names right? Well that depends on who you ask and when. The average pet owner would say their dog knows their name in their house but does that same dog know their name when they're in the park? Most likely the answer to that one would be no. Names are a crucial component of a strong obedience foundation. 

A name should mean something to a dog just like when say "Sit" and you expect your dog to have their bum on the ground. A dog's name should tell the dog to pay attention and actually look at the person speaking. This is a skill set that has to be taught. 

I like to play "The Name Game" with my dogs. This can be taught to any dog of any age. This includes if you are changing a dog's name because you've recently adopted. 

All you do to play is call your dog's name once "Rover". Then move around or make other noises until your dog looks at you. Once your dog is looking at you say "Yes" and reward with a treat. Then start the process all over again. The most important part is not repeat the dog's name when you're playing. Calling only one time will in the long run eliminate your need to repeatedly call your dog to get attention.

You can play The Name Game with a toy as well. Instead of rewarding with a treat pull out your dog's favourite toy and play tug or throw it for fetch. 

Your dog is learning that their name means to pay attention to you and that there's a fun pay off for listening. 

Try it out today! 

If you'd like help with your overall obedience contact Where's Your Sit to participate in one of our group training classes or private lessons. 

Little side story here at the end... Photo is of Remi our senior French Bulldog. She was adopted only a few years ago and came with a name the Rescue gave her. She's had at least 3 names. We chose to re-name her so she could have a fresh start. Playing the name game helped Remi learn that her name meant to look at us and that good things would happen as a result. She is able to run around off leash and easily come when called all because she's knows that she is in fact Remi. 

Dogs need to think twice and make better decisions…

Have you ever made a decision without really thinking it through? Have you let anxiety or fear lead you to a dangerous predicament? Most people would say yes. It happens when we’re small children, it happens when we’re teens and it happens when we are adults. It also happens to dogs.

It’s the human’s responsibility to teach their dog crucial life skills like impulse control and how to deal with fear/anxiety/predatory behavior. They are dogs and they will make bad choices if we don’t set them up for success. This is obviously easier than it sounds. Recently I’ve had a number of clients whose dogs are lovely pets but have a history of aggressive behavior due to poor impulse control or because they are missing the ability to settle themselves down.

(Ari exhibiting poor inhibition by jumping up on me for attention)

This issue can manifest in aggression towards humans (dog gets excited and begins nipping owner’s hands) or aggression towards other animals (dog attacks another family dog when he/she becomes stressed or over excited). This doesn’t mean the aggressive dog doesn’t have a bond with his/her family. What it means is that this dog is missing crucial social skills that are making him/her dangerous. The causes for this can include genetic background, training, missed socialization or a medical issue. No dog is the same but what an owner can do is to teach all their dogs (big and small, old and young) how to deal with stress and not immediately react to something exciting.

Some tips:

• Sophia Yin has a wonderful program called the “Learn to Earn Program” where she insists dogs say please by sitting. This is a crucial skill when teaching your dog manners and also calming themselves down when something is exciting is happening. Examples include sit before going through doors, sit before petting or play, sit before greeting another human, etc.
•  Teach your dog to handle excitement in small doses. An example would be teaching your dog a calm response to the doorbell ringing. You can practice this by first teaching your dog to sit, down or go to bed. Once your dog is very good at this behavior then you can first ring your doorbell. Doorbells are often a source of excitement for dogs so you’ll be triggering your dog to become excited and then pairing that with a calm behavior. You can then move on to using other excitement triggers such as have a friend come over and practice sitting for attention.
• Do not reward your dog for over excited behavior. This includes taking your dog out for a walk and then leashing your dog/exiting your home while your dog is barking, lunging or acting over excited. This could also include letting your dog out of the crate while barking or scratching excitedly. Ask your dog for a sit first.

(Ari exhibiting impulse control by sitting before getting pets)

If your dog is unable to calm down when only triggered by small excitement sources then you should consult a trainer or behaviourist. If your dog exhibits over excitement or anxious behavior it is also prudent to check with your veterinarian. Remember no two dogs are the same but in order to be successful in society it is your job to teach them patience, thoughtfulness and manners.

Ouch! Why Puppies Bite and What To Do About It

The most common concern I hear about from new puppy owners is "biting". So I thought I would take a moment to explain what this biting is and what to do about it.

Biting (often called Mouthing) in puppies under 6 months is a very normal behaviour. When worked on correctly it should disappear by around 4-5 months and sometimes a little later in retriever breeds and terriers. Why do they do it? Well puppies are trying to learn how to use their mouths. Imagine a two year old child and all the grabbing, hitting and pinching they do as they learn to manipulate objects in their hands. It's the same thing. 

It's really important for puppies to learn to use their mouths correctly because as adult dogs we can't have mistakes. Our dogs need to know how much pressure to apply, what they are allowed to put their mouth on and what they aren't. This is one of the reasons many trainers don't recommend playing tug of war with puppies (although I personally think it's alright with the right rules in place). 

The rule in my house is no teeth on skin but everyone has their own variation of this. When a puppy begins to mouth me and it hurts I let out a high pitch "ouch" and stand up/walk away. This teaches the puppy that by hurting me he makes go away and the behaviour is anti-social. The majority of normal puppies will want your attention and not drive you away.

Another successful tactic is to give your puppy an appropriate chew object. Great toys include stuff animals without stuffing, kongs/hard rubber toys, ropes and chew sticks (antlers, bully sticks, etc). Sometimes you don't have anything handy so instead try asking your puppy for a "sit" or a "hand target/touch" and get them working. 

A great way to teach puppies how to use their mouths is by letting them play with other puppies and accepting adult dogs. There's also an argument for keeping puppies with their mother and siblings longer. Having your puppy stay with a good breeder until 10-12 weeks of age can help with mouthing issues. You just want to make sure they're being socialized at the same time. No one wins if the puppy is just locked up in a pen all day.

There is no one size fits all answer and it is something that goes away with age (if you haven't encouraged it). It's important to remember not to hurt your puppy as you don't want to make him/her afraid to have their mouth handled.