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.

Leash Aggression? But he’s fine off leash!

I’ve had a fair share of owners who are confused by their dogs on leash behavior. They often begin by telling me how much their dog likes other dogs and does great at the park playing with many strange dogs of all breeds, ages and personalities. Then they mention that their perfect pup turns into a murderous demon when the leash is on.

Alright so what’s actually going on here?

Let’s start off with what leashes do. They restrict our dogs from normal, social body language and put up a barrier to interaction. This is often for their own safety and compliance with leash laws but there are side effects. Just adding a barrier for some dogs creates a frustration response (barking, lunging, lying down) which can escalate into aggression over time.

For some dogs they are fine on leash with other dogs until their owner tries to pull them away. The feeling of their collar tightening is enough to trigger an “attack”. A dog’s response to this can be anywhere from barking, growling, stiffening to an actual bite with injury.

So now what? While this problem can be prevented through focus, heeling and a good leave it cue you’re probably not reading this because you have the perfect puppy.

1.   A good rule for most dogs is to restrict dog greetings to off leash only where your dog can have freedom of communication and movement. I expect my dogs to be working for me when they are on leash and when they are off leash I’ll tell them “Go Play” which signals they can do as they wish. This also makes handling them at busy dog shows and expos easier as they don’t think it’s play time whenever they see a dog.

2.   Walk on your dog on a harness like the Easywalk harness by Premier or Sensation harness. Even a good step in harness will improve things from a collar.

 

3.   Keep on leash greetings to less than 5 seconds and teach your dog to keep walking when you call his/her name which will allow you to get your dog to come when called without a tight leash.

4.   Keep your leash loose during any and all dog interactions. Tightness in the leash will increase the chances of a problem.

5.   Participate in a group dog training class where dog social skills are worked on or an activity like rally obedience where your dog will learn to focus on you and not pull on leash around other dogs.

Dogs Behaving Badly...

What should you do when your best friend is just not listening? 


Well here's a few tips that can help you solve your problems or at least get you on the right path. Many dogs "act up" because they get something out of it. 


Here's an example:
You come home from a long day at work and your best buddy is overwhelmed with excitement when you come in the door. He boundless jumps all over you. For some owners this is a real problem where they can actually be injured and knocked over. 


So how would you go about teaching your beloved (and happy) pet to relax when you come home? 


A great place to start is by asking yourself "What would I want him to do instead?". Dogs can not just stop and do nothing. We have to take all that energy and excitement and direct it at another source. This is a great time to teach a good solid sit stay or even a "drop/down stay". One of my clients opted to teach her dog to go get a toy and bring it to her. This gave the dog a very specific job and a way to burn his energy. Another one of my clients decided to teach her dog to go to bed and wait for a few minutes so she could get her shoes and coat off. Once she was ready she would release the dog and he'd be allowed to offer a "hug". The choices are plentiful and can be as creative as you like. 


The key to stopping "bad" behaviour is replacing it with something more desirable. Many owners need help with this and it sure pays to have a trainer you can consult with.