How to Raise a Confident, Happy Dog!

Lots of people confuse dog ownership with parenting. Their unnatural relationships with their dogs create weird, clingy, reactive and insecure dogs.

There is no such thing as an untrained dog. Every dog is been “trained” from the moment it enters its new home. Training takes place every moment of every day – based on what their owners do.  Our dogs are a reflection of us; they watch us and they learn from us.   

Although there may indeed be some similarities between parenting and dog ownership, there are also  significant  differences between being a good parent and being a good dog owner: 

-   Good parents talk to their kids all the time; verbal communication is the key.
Good dog owners say very little in words and prefer to communicate in actions; what they DO, not what they say, is the key to the relationship.

- When a child gets anxious about something, good parents reason with them logically, helping them put life’s trials into proper perspectives.
When a dog gets anxious about something, great dog owners identify environmental stimuli that are creating anxious behaviors and they work to systematically desensitize and counter-condition their dogs in order to create new conditioned emotional responses. 

-  When a child does something wrong, great parents give advice and counsel. They wait for the right moment, which might be hours or days later.
When a dog does something wrong, great owners correct their dogs within 2 seconds of the mistake.

-  A good parent makes sure that they help a child begin to develop social skills at around the age of 3 or 4 years old.
A good dog owner makes sure that they help a puppy begin to develop social skills at around the age of 7 weeks old. The window of socialization closes at 5 to 6 months of age.  

So if you want to raise a happy, confident dog:

1)      Make sure that they meet 100 friendly people and 20 friendly dogs by the time they are 6 months old.

2)      Use your brain, not brute force. You will gain respect by controlling resources and teaching your dog what is expected of him. You will not gain respect by following old-school advice such as, “pin him on his back and show him who’s boss.” (This type of handling creates behavior problems, not respect.)

3)      Spend lots of time with obedience training (sit, down, come, stay and drop-it). Don’t teach tricks (like “give paw”) until your dog has mastered the 5 basic obedience commands and can do them under distraction, without food treats. 

4) Provide exercise, interactive play, mental stimulation and lots of rituals and routines in his everyday life.

5)  Ignore advice from well-meaning friends, neighbors and relatives. Their advice will be based on anecdotal experience, and not all dogs are the same. 

6)  The Internet is a great resource, but there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. It’s best to take everything you read on the Internet with a grain of salt - except this blog of course. :)

How to Play Tug of War with Your Dog

Do Dogs Have Emotions?

Experts agree that dogs do experience various states of emotional arousal including things like fear, frustration, anxiety and disappointment.  But problems occur when dog owners assume that their dogs are reacting to these emotions the same way that people do.

This anthropomorphic thinking by owners results in false assumptions about their dogs behavior, attributing purely human responses such as jealousy and spite to their dogs. Although dogs  experience emotional responses they are not burdened by the same type of emotional "baggage" as humans.  

The emotions that dogs experience come from their limbic system, a complex loop of neural structures which play a role in things like fear and aggression. But their thinking and reasoning occurs in the cerebral cortex, not in the limbic system. (Trainers sometimes refer to the difference in these thought processes as "hind brain / front brain.")

When owners assume that dogs think like humans think, all kinds of wrong conclusions are reached.
Some examples:

• Owner brings home a new baby and the dog starts having housebreaking accidents. Owner concludes that the dog is being "spiteful" because she is not getting enough attention, when in fact "spite" has nothing to do with it. The dog's routine of meals and potty breaks has been turned upside down and she simply needs a house training refresher course. 
• Toddler learns to walk and the dog begins growling at him. Owners assume the dog is "jealous" when in fact the dog had never been exposed to young children during her early developmental stages, has been tripped over a couple of times, and is now afraid of this clumsy little odd-moving creature.
• One of two family dogs dies. Six months later, the owner is convinced that the other dog is still depressed.  The owner can certainly relate to that, because the owners misses the other dog too. But the fact is that dogs tend to live in the present moment. The loss of a companion may cause them to feel a bit unsettled for a few days, since one of the pack members is gone, but if the dog is still acting "depressed" months later, it's not because they miss their friend, it's because they have adapted to new patterns of behavior due to their ability to read the body language of the owner, and because their daily routines have been changed.
• An owner surrenders her two German Shepherds to the local shelter. The dogs grew up together and are closely bonded. Because of this, the shelter insists that any new adopter must take both dogs,  because they believe that the dogs will not do well on their own.  Since they grew up together they must stay together or they won't be happy. As a result the dogs spend much longer in the shelter because it's much harder to find an adopter willing to adopt two large dogs. The perception of the humans is that these dogs cannot thrive on their own. But the reality is that even lifelong litter-mates who have been together for many years can be successfully re-homed individually. After only a few days they will learn to settle into their new homes. They won't worry and obsess over whether their pack mate is doing well. Instead they will focus on their new family. They are genetically programmed to find their own place in their new "pack" - not to wish they were reunited with their old one.

Dogs do not think like people; dogs think like dogs. They live in the present and focus on their daily routines and rituals.  They don't carry the same emotional burdens that we do and they don't dwell on the past. They don't hold grudges and they don't get spiteful or jealous. Yes, they feel emotions like anger and happiness, but they don't react to these emotions the same way that we do. In many ways, they are actually much better at handling life's problems than we are. I'm a little jealous of that.

Dog Parks are Dangerous

  

Dog parks are a relatively recent phenomenon, and they are now the fastest growing type of municipal parks. There were 571 dog parks in the largest 100 cities in the United States in 2011, which is a 33% increase over a 5 year period.

But are dog parks safe? The ASPCA has endorsed the idea of dog parks, saying that it gives owners an opportunity to provide much needed exercise for dogs, which has a positive impact on decreasing dog behavior problems. True, but at what cost?  Lots of people love taking their dogs to dog parks. But are they safe?  

Fights are common at dog parks, and because of the large number of dogs in a relatively small area, so are diseases.

In my opinion, dog parks are a bad idea. More harm than good is done in dog parks - too many fights, and too many illnesses.

Socialization should be done carefully, with dogs you know – not with strangers’ dogs. Just one fight can change a dog’s attitude about other dogs for the rest of her life - it’s just not worth it.

 

If you absolutely must take your dog to a dog park,  at least follow these common sense guidelines:

1)      Be alert. Watch your dog and the others around him. You’re not there to have coffee and chat with your neighbors – you’re there to supervise your dog.

2)      Keep weight ranges similar. Small dogs should not be matched with big dogs.

3)      Be extra aware of bully breeds at the park. Their play styles are more “in your face” than other breeds, and this can be frightening to more laid back dogs.

4)      Watch for avoidance behavior in your dog. For example, if your dog comes running back to you and stands behind you, put a leash on him and take him home! He’ll recognize that you did your job and protected him from whatever was frightening him.

5)      Bring an air horn – the loud noise can break up a fight (not always - but sometimes).

6)      If you have to break up a fight, do not reach in between the fighting dogs – this is a sure recipe for a dog bite. Instead, grab the back legs and pull the dogs apart.

Bottom line: It's easier and safer to AVOID dog parks completely. For young dogs who need socialization, it makes more sense to have them play with friendly dogs owned by friends and neighbors. 

The Key to Effective Dog Training? Keep it Simple!

Dogs are very simple creatures. They are not burdened by the same emotional baggage as humans. They live in the present, and they learn from their environment, from experience and most of all, from their owners. Most of pet dog behavior has been trained by the owner – intentionally or unintentionally.

Owners struggle needlessly with their dogs’ behavior problems when they overcomplicate things. For example, we know that the keys to housebreaking are supervision and confinement. Yet owners will come up with an endless number of theories as to why their dogs are going to the bathroom in the house: he’s upset that Joe is away on business, he’s jealous of the new dog, he’s being spiteful and so on.

We know that fearful dogs are uncomfortable with strangers. Yet owners come up with all sorts of interesting theories as to why their shy dogs have bitten people – he was carrying a box, he had on red shirt, he smelled like another dog, etc.

As professionals we can be of tremendous help to our clients when we help them cut through complicated theories and focus on simple solutions.  Stick to the basics and keep things simple.

How do you housebreak a puppy when you live on the 3^rd floor?  Use the elevator.  How do you walk a dog on a prong collar when you have trouble attaching the prongs? You practice until you can do it.    

Purely positive trainers create complicated click-and-treat training protocols designed to encourage differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior, while ignoring the undesirable behavior. This results in frustrated clients who give up on their dogs.  In contrast, balanced trainers teach their clients how to simply and effectively correct undesirable dog behavior.

We must never lose sight of the huge benefits that our programs have for our clients – simple, effective solutions that give fast results will help enhance the bond between dog and owner. With a  balanced approach to dog training, dogs learn what to do and what not to do.

Purely positive trainers teach owners how to respect their dogs’ feelings. Balanced trainers teach owners how to correct their dogs’ behavior.  Rewards are a good way to teach a dog what to do, but they are a bad way to teach a dog what not to do. Simple.

What is "Temperament?"

It depends on who you're asking. Like many words in the English language, the word “temperament” has a number of definitions. In the shelter world for example, it covers a very broad range of factors and refers to the overall character and behavior of the dog – everything from the dog's personality, sociability, activity level, tendency toward aggression etc. So a “temperament test” in the shelter world is an overall picture of who the dog is.

In describing a human, we use the word “temperament” to refer to one’s basic constitution as it effects their behavior. So when describing a pleasant, easy going person we might say they have a “good temperament.” 

To obedience trainers, that word has a very specific definition. When we use it, we mean (broadly speaking) “the speed with which a dog recovers from a change in the environment” and more commonly in the training world we use it to describe, “the speed with which a dog recovers from a correction.”  

For example, if I am working with a 120 pound leash-lunging German Shepherd and I do a hard leash correction and he shakes it off as if to say, “Is that all you got?” – that is a dog with a hard temperament. A hard temperament is a basic requirement of many types of working dogs, such as patrol dogs, seeing eye dogs and search and rescue dogs. It’s an important trait in a therapy dog as well – the dog must be able to quickly recover from a startle or a strange noise.  

So picture a nice, friendly, calm Labrador retriever who is a good therapy dog – she is sweet, calm, friendly and mellow – but she has a ROCK HARD temperament if she is good at her job.

It's easy to see a shy, fearful dog who submissively urinates, runs and hides at the drop of a hat as being "soft." But we can also picture a mean, nasty, vicious dog with a long bite history – a dog who  takes it personally when you correct him - maybe even redirecting at you – as possibly  having a very SOFT temperament as well.  

As obedience trainers, we must not confuse temperament with personality. It takes a while for new trainers to grasp the concept of hard vs. soft temperament within the context of obedience training and to use those terms accurately. They sometimes incorrectly use the terms as personality descriptions rather than working traits.

(Note: Other terms such as: weak nerves, sharpness, acute anxiety, generalized anxiety, separation distress and hyperactivity are commonly misunderstood or misused as well. These will be discussed in future posts.)

How Do I Train My Puppy to Use Only One Small Area of the Yard for Elimination?

 

This is a question we get all the time from dog owners concerned about their lawns.  Unfortunately, the common practice of restricting a puppy’s choice of bathroom locations to only one small area may hurt your housebreaking efforts. Why? Because the key with housebreaking is to form a habit of elimination outdoors. Puppies who are permitted to travel around in the yard and choose their spots, more quickly develop preferences to go to the bathroom outside. 

The feel of grass under their paws, the smells of the outdoors, and the ability to move around and choose their spots, all contribute to faster progress in housetraining. 

Some puppies are a bit fussy about other things as well - like weather, surfaces, and proximity to the owner. For these dogs, adding yet another roadblock to housebreaking is even more risky. 

So as a general rule, we do not recommend attempting to teach your puppy to only use one small area of the yard for elimination. Taking him to the same spot over and over might eventually teach him to prefer that particular area, but it is also likely to slow down your housebreaking efforts.  In addition to the "moving around" factor, Lindsay's Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training (Vol. 3, page 79-80)  gives another reason for not using one small spot over and over during puppy training: "In the morning, the puppy should be taken to the same general location [e.g. the back yard] and vocally prompted to eliminate...As the training process progresses, the puppy should be encouraged to eliminate in different locations near and away from the home, thus preventing the behavior from becoming overly contextualized to particular substrates and locations. [emphasis mine]."  

This advice might not be welcomed by dog owners who are concerned about burn spots on their lawns. The good news is that some dogs will naturally seeks the perimeter of the yard for elimination. If so, that’s great. Also, male dogs who have been neutered after reaching sexual maturity will insist on lifting their legs on vertical surfaces (fences, trees and shrubs), which also tends to reduce the number of burn spots on the lawn. But for most of us, some urine-nitrogen-burn-spots on our lawns are an inevitable part of dog ownership.