This Ain't Disneyland, folks!

 

 

Dogs are meant to bite. Their teeth are meant to tear. They are built to hunt and run. They were meant to kill to eat. Do we think of this when we bring them into our homes?

Often times people imagine a fairy tale life with dogs. As in Disneyland, dogs would be like Pluto or Goofy: Our story ending in Happily Ever After. Such thinking as "My dog would never_____    (fill in the blank) or never dream of biting" may very well be the case because dogs can be good and nice. They are generally sweet tempered but it is very important to never forget that they do have teeth, claws and growl. Keep in mind, all dogs can bite. Fortunately most don't.

As puppies, we experience first hand dog "wildness". That cute, adorable puppy's first months of life with us make us miserable. They bark, cry, scratch and bite us. They jump up, won't come, pee and poop on the floor and if left unsupervised they will chew up our stuff.

For a dog to get along in the Pack, life is structured. They learn to get along by cooperating. Dogs can cooperate with people.  Lucky for us, dogs are trainable. That's why we live with them. To raise a well balanced, healthy dog we must provide Rules, Structure and Leadership. Without being taught how to live with humans, dogs would continue to wreck havoc in our homes.

If there is a lack of a proper Leadership, a lack of Structure, a lack of understanding of what should be the Rules. You will have "Dog Problems". To create Structure we teach the dog what the expectations are and we do this by having the dog work throughout the day. We should have our dog waiting at doors, laying down, sitting before eating, walking nicely on a leash, coming when called every time. 

The reality of dogs is far from the fairy tales of Disney. A good relationship is built by providing a safe, structured, place to live. When life is fair, predictable and consistent, then you can have the dog of your dreams.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.com
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070


 

Does a Wagging Tail = A Friendly Dog?

  

 

Oh look at that dog!...Isn't she cute. Why she's wagging her tail. She wants me to come and pet her. Maybe but more likely, maybe not. It will take more than looking at a dog's tail to see if they are friendly.

Dogs are non-verbal communicators. What can they tell us? A lot if we learn to read their Canine Body Language. We can't assume on first glance that we have read the dog right until we have looked at the whole picture.

 

It's easy to tell a happy dog: their mouth is opened, ears are up, they play bow, jump and pounce from side to side. Their tail will be wagging a mile a minute. Go ahead and play.

 

It is also easy to tell spot an unfriendly dog that is growling, with ears erect, tail held high, stiff legs lunging forward. Give this dog alot of space.

 

Reading a dog is somewhat like the Matching Game. When put together, what parts: body, face, ears, tail, and expression are telling the story? Don't overlook movement and sound.

 

Ears pinned back, mouth closed, lips tight or curled to reveal teeth, tail set low or high, speed of tail wagging, hackles, crouching back or standing tall and leaning forward all tell a story of a dog uncomfortable, not happy, aroused and on guard. This adrenalized behavior may lead to Flight or Fight.

 

Another question to ponder, are they upset themselves or are they trying to calm the situation they are in?

 

Lip Licking, Yawning, Averting Eyes, Turning Head, Stretching, Sniffing the Ground are signals that send the message of how the dog is feeling. This usually means stress. It is also a way for the dog to avoid conflict. The dog wants to make the situation better.

 

We can help our dogs and avoid bad situations by understanding what the dog's body language is saying.

 

By all means, don't confront a dog that is afraid. Thinking your friendliness will overcome their fear may just lead them to bite you.

 

Take a good look before your reach out to pet a dog. Better Safe than Sorry because at the end of the day we all want to get along.

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

 

Help! I'm a Prisoner to my Dog!!

 

Separation Anxiety is terrible for everyone. No one is happy when the dog is upset and discontent especially when they get to the point of being destructive to your things and harmful to themselves.

Gosh and aren't we're trapped?!! Can't even leave the room or go to the bathroom without our canine shadow? Heaven forbid if we leave the house, for when we come back and our dog has been crated, we can find a puddle of drool or worse a soiled crate. If the dog was left loose who knows what damage may have occurred? And the barking is non-stop reported by the neighbors.

It's a vicious cycle but it can be stopped....Wait! What was that?...Yes! Separation Anxiety can be corrected!

Here are 7 steps to follow. Not just when it's time to train or teach tricks but everyday, all the time for the rest of your dog's life. Now you are thinking that is way too much, I can't possibly follow these rules. I say you can when you make living with your dog a lifestyle.

Begin now!

1. A Structured Walk: this is walking with a Mission. I call it Leadership Walking. Your dog is at your side with no pulling, sniffing, lagging, zigzagging all over the place. And not on a Flexi line but a good leash and prong collar. Your dog is to walk your pace and not leave a trail of "Pee-Mail" on every upright object.

A structured walk creates a different mind set than running around rampant with free abandonment.

2. Stop feeling guilty and learn to Love the Crate: The Crate is not Jail and is very helpful in protecting your home from being destroyed. Teach a Kennel Command. Have your dog go in & out of the crate when you say so. This must include the dog staying in the crate even with the door open.

Practice this when you are home so you can hear your dog and help them overcome their anxious behavior.

3. Control Space in your house: make you dog Stay put. Tethering, keeping your dog in Place or doing the "Sit on the Dog" exercise will help them learn to calm down. Their anxious chemicals will dissipate and your dog will learn to settle and be comfortable in their own skin. This will help your dog learn how to be alone even while you are home.

How can dogs be good while you are out if they can't be quiet with you home? Just gating your dog in an area or locked in a room is not the same as making them Stay still.

4. Your home is not a Playground: using furniture like a jungle gym, barking and jumping from windows to doors, chasing the cats or children must be stopped. It is important to create a calm environment not adrenalized behavior. Think Library not Recess.

5. Control Yourself: stop gushing all over your dog when it is time to leave or when you come home. Your excited voice will only ramp up your dog and certainly give them mixed messages when you speak in a high, squeaky voice, affirming their uncertainty of their survival without you.

Be calm and matter of fact. Let your dog be the last one you say to whom you say Hello and crated first before you leave.

6. Don't ask your dog what they want: asking your dog something most often results in an answers you won't like. It is selfish on our part because we create their bad energy and therefore bad choices are made. "Do you want to go for a walk?" turns into a mess when all you needed to do was hook the leash to the collar and get out the door.

7. Use Equipment not Drugs: atleast not drugs alone. Keeping your dog drugged may seem to  alleviate or lessen the problems but your dog still has Separation issues. Stopping the Barking is critical in breaking the SA pattern. Like a hysterical child, the dog can bark themselves into a frenzy. An electronic Bark collar with a split second correction is much kinder than the Citronella Spray that remains as a continual correction because the smell doesn't go away. A Remote Training Collar is another kind and effective tool. How about Whining? Yes, even Whining can be corrected. Using low level stimulation can interrupt the dog to change the pattern. Finally You are the best tool! Calmly approach your dog and give them a quick finger poke accompanied with a Fpht! Air sound. Not in their eye but on their chest or flank.

Allowing our dog to remain in this tortuous state of mind is abusive when we can calmly help our dog find peace as we reset their state of mind.

So to wrap this up, give your dog mental and physical exercise with Leadership Walking and Obedience. When you return to your home make them stay still in a Place Command or in the crate. Use effective tools because This Really Works. You can do it too! The dogs I train all crash into a deep, snoring, sleep after being out with me.

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

$100 Game

 

First I would like to acknowledge Kerry Stack of Darwin Dogs for showing me this technique. I have taken her idea and made it into the $100 Game.

How often do we find ourselves in this predicament?

Ding Dong!

Everyone, meaning you and your dog, jumps up and races to get to the door first. Of course the dog will beat you! He has four legs for Pete's Sake!

Along the way you are shouting "NO Fido NO" !! NO, No! Out of breath, you arrive while your dog is jumping, barking and slobbering all over the door. Your attempts to gain control of your dog are futile, so you bite the bullet, open the door and let your guest into your not so "Home Sweet Home".

There is a remedy to stop this pattern and allow you to have people wanting to come to your home again! I call it the the $100 Game.

First you need to practice before you use a real "Human Specimen". Practice in front of your door so your dog understands the concept. You will face your dog while your back is to the door. Place some irresistible food on the floor between you and the door.

Without using your hands, keep your dog from getting the food. Use your best quarterback moves to stay between your dog and the food. Hold your hand out forward to to "Air" block your dog and move the dog backwards away from the food on the floor. When you have your dog in a calm or calmer state of mind use the Marker word "GOOD" then you can release them with "YES" to go forward and clean up the floor.

 

This technique uses Social Pressure and Yielding. You will be the only TOOL necessary. This is what it means to be a Leader. The reason I call it the $100 Game is that you must imagine you are protecting something valuable. Eventually you will use this technique to keep your dog from jumping on anyone coming into your home. I am sure you value your family and friends!

Practice this game often and you will be putting your savings into your Leadership Bank.

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

You're getting Warmer!

We already know that dogs are amazing. We've seen dogs doing miraculous feats and tricks of daring. The question is

How do They do That?

 

Here is the situation. My dog is in front of me and I am wondering how can I communicate with her to understand what I want her to do.

 

I have a couple of things to my advantage.

1. My dog has a healthy hunger drive.

2. I can use "Language" from the Acronym L.E.A.D.

With food and language I can Mark the incremental steps along the path to the desired behavior.

 

A few months back I did a school demo about dog training. I thought how cute it would be if she could bow at the end of the program. Little did I know how difficult it would be for my very intelligent and willing dog to learn this behavioral position.

 

Daisy has an excellent understanding of the Command Down. She can do it when she hears the word. She can do it when she sees the hand signal. She can even do it when I am quite a far distance from her. Daisy is "Fluent in Down". That Down command got in the way of learning to Bow.

 

Think of the Children's game Hot & Cold. We encourage the searching with directional help by saying "You're cold to getting warmer and finally they are upon finding the hidden object, the children shout You're HOT". With my helpful advantages of Food and Language (particularly the YES Marker Reward word) I could mark even the tiniest effort Daisy gave me to doing a Bow. Helping her each step got her closer to the correct position.

 

I would like to say I taught her to do it in a week but it took weeks and we did not show the childern this new trick. Although they loved her non the less and she was a big hit with what she did do.

 

Today I was able to take this picture and I used my sustaining marker reward word "GOOD". This extended the duration of Daisy holding this position so I was able to snap a few photos. Then I said YES to release her and rewarded her for her valiant effort!

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.com
Contact Dru Therrian at 440.286.9070

Hey You! .....Look at me!

How many times do you find your self raising your voice Louder and LOUDER to get your dog to listen? Sounding like this....sit, siT, sIT, SIT!!! And maybe your dog will be sitting by the time you finish shouting or they may have moved on to something more interesting.

Engagement is part of my Acronym: L.E.A.D. It is pretty important to have your dog interested in you and what you are asking them to do. How can you be "Bigger & Better" when you are competing with a whole world of sights and smells?

You need to have what your dog wants. You must make your dog want what you have such as food or a toy. In fact, we want our dogs to make us give "IT" to them by being engaged with us. The dog should be thinking "what do I have to do to get what I want". And isn't that when our dog goes through their repertiore of behaviors: sit, down and rollover? So start out by having something your dog really loves. A healthy food drive is helpful in this instance but a favorite toy can work as well.

The first step in training anything to dog is getting them to Look at you. If they aren't looking at you they probably are not hearing you either.

An easiest way to begin is with the Name Game. You say their name "FIDO". They Look at you. You say YES as a reward marker word then give the food or toy. Once your dog recognizes their name and repeatedly looks at you, you can insert the word "LOOK" as the new command.

With the Look command you will build Focus and Attention. With your dog fully engaged with you, You become the World to your dog.

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian @ 440.286.9070

 

 

The Leash is the Ballet Barre of Dog Training

I am a huge advocate for Off Leash Reliability of dogs. I think by unleashing dogs, when they understand and cooperate, especially when called to Come, means I have taught them well and they are using their "Thinking Caps". It also gives their owner's peace of mind that their dog will not run away.

But how do we get there? What is going to help us communicate to our dogs? The Leash.

Like a child learning to ride a bike, kids start with training wheels, parents hold and support the bike so their child won't fall over. The leash, this tool, is that safety net and life line, literally, because it may save your dog from being hit by a car. The leash is the beginning of groundwork in educating my canine student.

The leash connects us to keep our dogs close. It provides a steady stream of information to help our dogs. It sets boundaries and limits to what they want to do and redirects them to what they are asked to do.

In addition to the leash, the right collar is important. The flat collar is great for holding the ID tags and could be suitable once your dog walks well but not the best for initial training. I prefer a prong collar as it simulates "Mom's teeth" and perhaps dogs remember that time when Mom picked them up as puppies, by the scruff of their neck applying manners as needed.

I like the combination of the leash and prong collar when used appropriately, for me that means pressure and release: like pressing the brakes when driving into a curve. This can help slow down the greatest of pullers without using much muscle work.

When we take the leash it is also critical to keep in mind that you are not the water skier being dragged behind the boat. You and your dog are a team with you being the Leader. In fact, consider yourself  the Senior partner of the team with Junior K9 being the follower.

This is how the Leadership begins. You, taking charge of where you and your dog will go. It is important to remember that while on leash and being connected that you don't allow your dog to willy nilly wander all over the place. This is where the discpiline comes into the picture. By practicing correctly you can exercise both your dog's brain and body.

I have always admired ballet dancers,. Their poise, grace, strength and their discipline to excell. And where does this begin? 
At the Ballet Barre. From the very beginning the dancers start at the barre repeating the moves until they have achieved perfection. They use the barre for support but eventually leave to dance on their own.

We too, have a place to start, return as needed and then dance with our dogs. We do it with a leash.


Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian (440) 286-9070