Dog Bully Behavior How to help protect your dog from getting picked on

I recently wrote about this situation in my weekly doggie advice column on the Noozhawk. "Anxious in Austin" has a cocker spaniel that seemed to be terrorized by the neighbor’s "nightmare of a Pomeranian". When situations like this arise, it is important to be able to recognize appropriate dog play…

Venture to any off-leash dog arena and these are the types of behaviors you’ll likely see being displayed: 

• dogs chasing after other dogs 
• dogs being chased
• mouthing
• nipping
• tugging
• chest banging
• pinning
• wrestling
• rolling
• mounting 

But when it’s “play,” it’s reciprocal and consensual! Those are a couple key factors! Reciprocal and consensual! Other notable elements of proper play are:

• Big, inefficient movements amongst all involved. Think “Three Stooges” versus Muhammad Ali. 
• Self-interruption: One dog will stop for a second or two to take a break, others follow by taking a break as well. 
• Good “listening” skills: If one dog no longer wants to play, they will communicate as such, and the other dog will comply and go in search of another playmate. 

When dogs arent exhibiting healthy dog play behaviors, there are several things you, as a responsibly aware dog guardian can do. 

The goal: to help your dog build trust and self-confidence. You can easily do this by rewarding your dog for being brave. EX: your dog looks at, approaches gently, or investigates another dog, he or she gets a yummy food reward, and lots of "cheerleading happy talk". You can also reward with food and praise if another dog approaches your dog to say *hi*. This is similar to encouraging young children to make new friends. As humans we use encouraging verbal language and praise to help children deal with shyness and novel experiences. We can do the same for our pet dogs too. Through food, your dog learns to trust, while making positive associations with other dogs they meet. 

Additional techniques that may come in handy…

• Manage your environment or “avoid” if necessary: This is for when you don’t have the right kind of rewards handy, you don’t have the time to train, or you just don’t feel like dealing with the situation. 
• Come up with your best “spin”: “I’m so sorry, I’m running late today and don’t have time to stop. How about another time?” “Oh geez, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve only got a couple of minutes to get my dog exercise, so I’m gonna have to take a rain check. Thanks though!” 
• And with the convenience of modern gadgets, you can always be tied up on the phone, or even pretend to be on the phone - just make sure the ringers off so you don’t get a call while you’re faking it. I know, it’s a white lie, not very ethical. But hey, you’re doing it to protect your family and your sanity! 
• In the case with "Austin", maintain a friendly relationship between you and your neighbor: You can use some of the same techniques with your neighbor’s dog too. Bring a basket of muffins for your neighbor, and treats for both dogs. You can reward the Pom for being nice towards your dog, while continuing the treat plan with your Cocker. If the Pom begins to “act up” the rewards stop, and you suddenly remember you have to leave. You can also explain to your neighbor that you’re trying to help your dog overcome her shyness. Many people love to help and feel needed, so it’s a good time to fill her in on your plan and ask for assistance.
• Dog training classes and doggy socials: even for dogs that are already trained, getting into classes helps build up or maintain trained skills, but also helps to keep dogs socialized. Sometimes classes are the only time dogs get to be around other dogs. 

It’s important to be consistent when helping your dog learn to successfully conquer difficult situations. With a little patience, understanding, and time, even the shyest of dogs can make new friends, eventually leading to lots of play-dates!

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16 years old and already a compassionate and  awesome trainer!  Vote 5 stars!

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Browse > Home / Dog Training Tips, Featured / All The Help You Can Get To Train Your Dog

All The Help You Can Get To Train Your Dog

October 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Training Tips, Featured

3 Comments

No-one is about to claim that training a dog is an easy thing to do. Dogs are animals with personalities, and whether or not those personalities are amenable to training, they will present different challenges with each different dog. It cannot be denied that some are easier to train than others, but no dog is untrainable. It is simply the case that some dogs need to be given more of a chance than others to pick up what their master wants them to learn. After all, humans are the same – if you got straight As in your freshman year of high school, congratulations, but you are in a minority.
So it makes sense that there is help that can be found to improve the behavior of a dog you are finding hard to train. As ordinary “civilians” when it comes to the overall behavioral patterns of a pet dog, it goes without saying that we will not magically have access to the “button” inside a dog’s mind that makes it behave well, perform tricks or anything else you want it to do. There are professionals who have written books and made DVDs showing helpful tips and hints, and a wealth of websites which do the same.
You may even take your dog to a trainer who will be able to identify ways to get it behaving the way you would like. The expense of doing this makes it something that you may not want to do too regularly, but if all else fails it can be beneficial to you and to your dog.

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Puppymills and how YOU can help stop them!

Today is the day bloggers all over are trying to spread the word about puppymills and Petland. It seems the Canadian Petland, tired of the protests over puppy sales in front of their stores, stopped selling puppies. Sadly Petland stores in the states have not followed suit. We really want them to follow suit.

Ironically I started my day by watching the ending of the movie "Hotel for Dogs" while eating my breakfast. It of course made me cry like a baby. But then again I have always been a sucker for a happy ending and music that swells creating emotional moments. Hotel for Dogs is a very cute movie if not almost entirely unrealistic. Except for the part about the horrifically large number of dogs in need of homes of course. That part is sadly very realistic.

I find it interesting that people still need to be educated about why it is a bad idea to buy a puppy from a pet store (or an online puppymill) in this age of the internet. But then I remember that kids grow into teens, that grow into adults that might not know any better. Or that not everyone lives on facebook. Sadly petstore puppies are most often bought by people who just dont know any better. (or they are drunk, the newest phenomenon to be seen in petstores) And online puppymills are very slick in how they sell dogs. "Oh the puppy you wanted isnt available anymore, but we have this other one....." Dont get me started about how they steal photos from responsible breeders websites to bait their buyers with.

So here are a few reason why I, and most other dog trainers, are against puppymills and pet store puppies.

The dogs at a high volume breeding facility are treated like product, not like pets. This can mean extreme stress for the mother dog during her pregnancy which can cause damage to unborn puppies. It has been proven that hormonal changes can cause learning disabilities in the pups they produce. This is also usually a very awful life for the dogs at the facility. Little to no human contact and sleeping in small cramped cages with no bedding day after day listening to all the other dogs bark their frustration. Wouldnt this drive you crazy?

Most puppies from these high volume breeders are taken away from their mother and siblings to early to keep them small and cute for the pet shop window. The stores need them tiny and cute as long as possible to bring in the impulse puppy buyer. If they dont sell fast they cost more to feed after all and may outgrow their "sales cages".  A puppy taken away to soon is prone to behavioral problems down the road including separation anxiety, fear of people, aggression to other dogs and lack of bite inhibition. Oh but they forget to tell you that part. Of course most workers in pet stores dont know this either.

No responsible breeder would EVER sell their pups to someone else to sell for them. No matter what a pet store tells you. "Our pups come from good breeders and are raised in a local home". I call shenanigans! A responsible breeder cares where those pups go to and screen those potential homes. Not everyone should own a _______. (insert breed here) Responsible breeds do health testing and will even take back a puppy should something not work out in the new home. (or help the owner place the dog) They will even be there as a resource for training and health questions. Try getting a pet store to help you with that 2 months past the sale!

Some people would say that I shouldnt care where people get their dogs. People with dogs that have behavior problems are my bread and butter after all. But theres the thing, I love dogs. I dont want dogs to be mistreated. Dogs in puppymills are mistreated every day. If by no other fact than as companion animals they suffer being in those kennels day after day and not being in a real home with daily contact from people. It is cruel. It is cruelty done in the name of making money. Remember those dogs are being raised to be product after all.

So to help shut down puppymills we can do a few things. One is to go to Be The Change for Animals and sign the petition. This will let Petland know what we think about their practice of selling puppies. The other is to NEVER shop in a pet store that sells animals. Why support them with any of your money if they support puppymills? And the last, but the hardest for some people, is to NEVER buy a puppy from a petstore. (or online website) Buying just means you are part of the supply and demand chain. If they cant sell their puppies and make money then there is no reason for them to keep breeding. Breaking the chain is the only way to end the cycle.

There are many other options for getting a puppy. Check your local shelters, purebred rescue groups, and responsible breeders. You just might need to be a little more patient for those options. But dont you think saving dogs from a life of misery and hell of living just to produce puppies is worth waiting for?? I do. Now go sign that petition and spread the word. Its important.

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Help During the Grieving Process With the Loss of a Beloved Pet

My friend Colleen Mihelich is an animal lover and pet loss expert who founded Peternity - a company dedicated to helping others celebrate the life and love of their furry friends. She also has the wonderful and informative Peternity blog, where she offers heartfelt stories, along with enlightening guidance on how to cope when you do lose a beloved pet. I know I dread the day, but I am comforted knowing she will be there for me if and when that day comes.

One of her latest posts was on Pet Loss Tips for Getting Through the Holidays. A few pet loss grieving tips she talked about were:

• How to spend your time.
• How to help others while helping yourself grieve.
• How to honor your pet.
• How to deal with your emotions.

After reading through the content, Id say one can use this information any time of the year - although, I know the holidays can be quite tough - especially since our non-human family members mean so much to us.

To read more about pet grieving tips from Colleen, please click here to see the Peternity blog post - You can also check out her Peternity website to share, heal, and help - both yourself and others.

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Helpful Tips To Help You Train Your Dog

Should you make time to train your pet the essentials, you are constructing a foundation to get a lifelong enjoyable relationship with the pet. You may also teach a classic dog several new tricks using the right strategy. Below are a few neat proper dog training pointers.

When you are concentrating on dog training your newest addition to the family unit, do not accidentally punish your pet forever behavior. When you have gotten a puppy, for instance, and then he goes toward the lavatory outside correctly usually do not leave the canine out there alone. Devote some time with him and enjoy him since if you depart him alone he is going to be sad and think he did something wrong.

Create a regular schedule for your puppy. Make sure his foods are simultaneously on a daily basis, and walk him night and morning. Attempt to take him out for toilet breaks utilizing a consistent routine. Dogs often thrive when they have a schedule they can follow.

When training, be specific about what you would like your pet dog to do. Using vague commands like "no" are usually ineffective. Not why, though no only tells him that you simply didnt like what he did. In the event you say "no" as he jumps about the couch, he might think you wanted him to leap higher. Use specific commands like sit and stay for better results.

Not every dogs are comfortable around other dogs or people. The easiest way to train your puppy to be convenient around other animals or people is usually to expose these people to as much people and also other dogs as much as possible, preferably earlier in their lives. This may cause them accustomed to being around others.

After each training session, spend a few momemts playing your dogs favorite game with him. Should you do this each and every time, your puppy knows its coming once the exercise sessions and are excited when it comes time for your personal daily session. The greater excited he is, the more effective hell do.

Continually be ready with dog treats. Your dog should realize why you are happy with him. By rewarding your pet after it can something you need, it can realize that its doing the best thing. Therefore, it will likely be very likely to continue this good behavior.

Have flexibility when training your pet. Be ready to vary or change a routine if it isnt working. You might need to try different locations or days of day. Should it be too much time a session, or short, you may need to adjust the time period of your training schedule.

A pet dog owner who tries to train her or his pet while angry will never be successful. Dogs are really sensitive creatures, plus they can sense their owners displeasure. Anger and dissatisfaction by using a dogs performance can poison an entire exercise program. A dog trainer who becomes angry with their pets performance should have a break and settle down before continuing their exercise program.

Only give rewards for obedience the 1st time you provide a command including "come" or "sit", when you progress in training your pet dog. Your dog will quickly learn that it must be better to obtain the reward by obeying the first command than having you repeat it and not provide the reward. Do praise your pet if it finally obeys, but save the treats for quick obedience.

Use praise to re-enforce good behavior within your dog when training. Get excited, smile, and give treats to help your dog relate the good behavior to something positive. Tend not to give any rewards for negative behavior since your dog will thing the negative behavior is great too.

Have the right use and equipment it properly. Learn how to place on a chain or nylon slip use and collar an ordinary 6 foot leash for the majority of training. Usually do not yank or pull around the leash. Just give a quick tug and release once the dog ignores a command in the future or heel. Soon just wearing the collar will probably be enough to remind your pet that you will be usually the one in command of the training session, and extremely few corrections must be needed.

Positive reinforcement may be the proven key to success in training your dog. Evaluate which reward will motivate your pet and make use of it. Strong smelling meats and cheese are usually very well liked. It is actually fundamental to generally have treats handy when training. However, it is equally important to look at the calorie consumption.

Oftentimes, a dogs diet may be adding to the behaviour and health issues he is having. Make sure that you are feeding your pet dog a balanced diet and that he will many thanks by adapting his behavior being accepted, more essential than that, he will be healthier for a lot of more years.

Your rewards should fit your dogs personality. You wouldnt work with free, so why would your dog? Make rewards match the difficulty in the task. Dont hesitate to pull out something truly stinky and tempting to teach new challenges, though regular treats are ideal for behaviors your pet dog already knows.

You shouldnt wait around for bad behaviors to get started on to start preemptively addressing them. Most new people who own dogs should expect a minimum of one bad behavior to appear during their time as a dog owner! Start addressing inappropriate soiling, destructive chewing and separation anxiety as though theyre more likely to happen, and make sure your environment makes those ideas challenging to occur!

Whenever your dog understands the benefits and rewards of learning the tricks you teach it, the need to find out is frequently as rewarding because the reward itself. Your pet will likely be happier, and so are you going to.

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All The Help You Can Fet To Train Your Dog

No-one is about to claim that training a dog is an easy thing to do. Dogs are animals with personalities, and whether or not those personalities are amenable to training, they will present different challenges with each different dog. It cannot be denied that some are easier to train than others, but no dog is untrainable. It is simply the case that some dogs need to be given more of a chance than others to pick up what their master wants them to learn. After all, humans are the same – if you got straight As in your freshman year of high school, congratulations, but you are in a minority.
So it makes sense that there is help that can be found to improve the behavior of a dog you are finding hard to train. As ordinary “civilians” when it comes to the overall behavioral patterns of a pet dog, it goes without saying that we will not magically have access to the “button” inside a dog’s mind that makes it behave well, perform tricks or anything else you want it to do. There are professionals who have written books and made DVDs showing helpful tips and hints, and a wealth of websites which do the same.
You may even take your dog to a trainer who will be able to identify ways to get it behaving the way you would like. The expense of doing this makes it something that you may not want to do too regularly, but if all else fails it can be beneficial to you and to your dog.

Read More..

My logo saga part 2 and a logo help request

So awhile ago I wrote about changing my logo. I had come across a celtic pawprint design by Aon Celtic that I loved so much I incorporated it into a tattoo. Then I thought about using it as my training business logo. After finally getting in touch with the owner of the design (FYI always double check your e-mail spam folders) I got all the details of using it with permission. I was good to go.

Then I got thinking about taking my old logo off my car and it bothered me. I made the original logo of an akita because my first dog was the catalyst for my becoming a trainer in the first place. I didnt want to lose that link. Not to mention I drew it myself so I knew I wouldnt need any ones permission to use it and no one else could possibly have the same logo. Unlike what could happen if I bought the other one. So I decided I am going to tweak the one I have and use that instead. I even think I have figured out how Im going to change it. Stay tuned for photos.

The other logo I have been working on in my head is one for the K-9 Corrections program. The one on our facebook page is actually just clipart. I would love to come up with something to use on t-shirts for us to sell as a fund raiser. This way anyone who wants to support the program can buy one and really show off that support. Im sure families of the handlers would also love to have that link to their family members. Not to mention the former handlers when they leave the facility.

I welcome any submissions from readers for this logo. Either ideas or artwork can be sent to me at CanineHelp@aol.com . I will not pay for artwork or submissions but credit will be given to anyone whos work we use. If we use the artwork and make the shirts, a free t-shirt with the design will also be given to the artist.

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