Boredom-a dogs WORST friend

Dogs are bored. It is difficult to believe, but we have essentially created behavioral monsters! Why are they bored? We have taken away their “jobs”. Whether herding for their shepherd, guarding the homestead or tracking a fox on the hunt, jobs are an integral part of our dogs’ genes. Dogs have a drive, a need to be active. When we asked these creatures to become part of our increasingly sedentary lives and leave the activities to the weekend, when it suits OUR schedule; is it any wonder that they can be destructive, behaviorally challenged members of our family?

Border collies are a perfect example. If they came with a label, it would say “must herd sheep”. Borders have an innate drive to herd something around the yard or the living room. It can be a toddler, a cat or even your feet! If you do not provide them with something appropriate to herd, they will find it on their own. This often leads to a call to me to fix an unwanted behavior or a call to a rescue group to re-home the dog.

Thoroughly researching a breed(s) prior to adoption or purchase can be extremely helpful in preventing this situation. Avoid choosing a dog because it looks so “cute” or because it is a small breed, therefore it will take up less room. Observe a greyhound, averaging 70 lbs, in someone’s house: they sack out on the couch or dog bed and meander about visiting other “pack members”. Observe a jack Russell terrier, averaging 15 lbs, in someone’s house: they jump and bark at the door…”do I hear someone??”.. they jump at the window..” was that a squirrel??”. Repeat. repeat. Jacks are wonderful dogs, but they need mental stimulation and exercise to be a content member of your pack.

What is mental stimulation for a dog? Teach him to play hide ‘n seek in your house; hide in another room and call your dog to “find” you. Move to hiding treats or a favorite toy and tell him to “find” it. Use toys that the dog needs to “figure” out. “Kongs” can be stuffed with biscuits, peanut butter or dog food; some dogs spend hours figuring out how to get to the treats. To make it more of a challenge, throw it in the freezer first. “Buster” cubes were designed to gradually dispense kibble when the dog pushed it around with its nose or paws. Fill this toy up before you go to work with half of your dog’s breakfast in it and it will give him a challenge to work on before his first nap of the day.

Your usual walking patterns can be a bore as well. Try changing your routine, travel down a new street or enter the woods down a different path, this will give him new smells to work out; a dog’s nose is its most powerful sense. It may not seem that different to us, but he will smell new dogs, cats, squirrels, trash and people; a medley of aromas for his mind to process.

If you don’t have time to walk your dog everyday, consider a dog walker. The visits will break up your dog’s day; provide him with much needed exercise and a variety of scents to work through. If you do have time to walk your dog everyday, make it a challenge to yourself to change up your routine; walk, then jog for a bit, make him wonder what speed you will pick and for how long. Even occasionally walking a little slower, baby steps, makes him wonder what is going on. Take a drive on your day off; find a dog park or another dog friendly place to go. Prevent car phobia by making trips in the car adventurous, not just going to the veterinarian.

When we add dogs to our home, we know that they are an additional responsibility. Don’t let the responsibility stop with food and veterinary care. Take the time to determine what your dog is looking for, what will make him smile. They add so much to our lives; let’s add fun to their lives!

Moms

I just received an email with a video clip of a dog mothering an orphaned litter of kittens. Animals are so amazing, for the mother dog to not even hesitate to raise not only a new litter, but an orphaned litter of another species!

At the end of the video, there are a few clips of other mothers who have raised orphaned young; a cat who raised a fawn; a goat who raised a foal and most amazingly a leopard who began mothering an infant baboon. Animals are amazing. Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G6aJC3zYMQ

What type of dog are you??

This is a question that I have asked people for years. It is an interesting question and you can get a number of responses. Or just a look that you are NUTS!!

I received an invitation to take this quiz on FACEBOOK today and my results were:


Laura completed the quiz "What breed of dog are you?" with the result German Shepherd.
The breed that best describes you is the German Shepherd. You are loyal, strong in heart, and faithful until the end. Even if you do not have a lot of friends, the ones you have you would do anything for. You are bold and confident. You are usually more serious then you are silly. You enjoy working and take pride in what you do. You love being around family and close friends, but you are wary of strangers and may take time to warm up to them..

This is quite amazing as the only breed of dog that I have owned is German Shepherds and that I have been told by other dog trainers that I am one as well.

So I ask you....what type of dog are YOU?

To jump or not to jump....

Teaching your dog acceptable behavior is an essential element to responsible dog ownership, much like proper nutrition and veterinary care. Training allows you to open an important line of communication for all household members, also known as your dogs “pack“. It will teach your dog to be obedient in a way that he or she will easily understand and in the process it will make each of you more confident and happy in your “pack” role. This will also ease the way toward your dog becoming a more integral member of your family. This is generally why we bring a dog into our home in the first place.

Like children, dogs are eager to learn. In fact, they begin learning from the day they enter your home. It is up to you to teach them proper behavior instead of them teaching you to allow bad behavior. Dogs will learn something every time you interact with them--even when you are not trying to teach them anything!

Problems often arise when commands are issued in a stressful or distracting situation, when the dog is less likely to comply. Or commands may be issued in a casual manner, when the owner is less likely to provide follow through. Proper instruction makes it easier to avoid these pitfalls.

Dogs learn differently than people do. They are not able to learn the concept of “good” or “bad” behavior. Basically if something feels good they will do it again to obtain the same outcome. If something feels bad, they will avoid it. For example one of the most common “bad” behaviors that I see during a behavior consultation is dogs that constantly jump up on people. Often times, the owner is both screaming and yelling at the dog to STOP or petting the dog gently asking it to stop. In each scenario, the dog is receiving a message opposite to what the owner thinks it is sending. The first scenario excites the dog and initiates play. Picture two dogs playing together, often times they jump on each other, using their paws as spring boards to bounce up and down off the ground. Dogs use their teeth as we do our hands, in an escalating scenario; dogs will bite or “mouth” you as they are jumping up to greet you. In the second scenario, when the owner is gently pushing the dog and asking it nicely to get off, the dog is being positively reinforced for a bad behavior. Why stop a behavior which is rewarded by stroking or petting?

The easiest solution to the jumping problem is to replace this unwanted behavior with the behavior that you WANT the dog to do. The majority of dogs are taught to sit and usually through positive reinforcement with treats. Take this behavior and replace the jumping with a sit. When your dog jumps up on you, step back and ask your dog to sit (if you are a treat giver, entice the dog with a treat stashed in your pocket). If your dog sits, IMMEDIATELY reinforce this behavior with said treat or praise. If your dog does not sit, take hold of the dog’s collar (some dogs may need a leash to start with) place the dog in a sit and IMMEDIATELY reinforce behavior with treat or praise. REPEAT. REPEAT.

The more consistent you are with training and positively reinforcing the behaviors that you want repeated, the better behaved your dog will be. Obviously this is to be regarded as a general training exercise and to be done by an adult. If your dog has shown ANY aggressive behaviors or tendencies, seek professional assistance immediately.

Welcome

After becoming a columnist for a local paper, I have decided to also begin blogging. Over 20 years of dog training experience should be good for something right??

This blog will mainly deal with dog behavior. But not to worry, there will also bits on cats, birds, kids and local wildlife. I will also post my column here and on my website: http://www.allaboutdogsnmore.com/ feel free to check it out!



so long for now!