Why Does My. Quick tips from an experienced dog trainer on common dog behaviour topics and questions. Tenille Williams, Dog Matters.

Transcription

1 Why Does My Dog? Quick tips from an experienced dog trainer on common dog behaviour topics and questions Tenille Williams, Dog Matters 1st Edition

2 Introduction... 6 Common Puppy Issues... 7 Puppy Socialisation... 8 What Is Socialisation?... 9 The Benefits of Training Your Dog How Do I Stop My Dog From Digging? Are You Giving Your Dog Enough Exercise? Should You Get a Second Dog? Canine Calming Signals What Is Your Dog Trying To Tell You? Is Your Dog An Attention Seeker? Choosing The Right Dog For Your Lifestyle Inside vs Outside Should You Bring The Dog In? Is Your Dog Guilty? Boredom Busters Keeping Your Dog Busy While You Are Away Help! My Dog Pulls! Excessive Barking Toilet Training Troubles! Adopting A Rescue Dog What A Dog s Tail Tells Inadvertent Reinforcement WHY Do They Do That?! Humping Lessons Every Dog Puppy Learn... 31

3 Separation Anxiety : Causes and Signs Separation Anxiety Part 2 Prevention and Treatment Dogs That Need Space Teaching Your Dog Not To Jump Up How To Choose A Training Reward Clicker Training What Is It And What Is It Good For? Pulling Washing Off The Line Patting People s Pooches What Is The Right Way For My Dog To Walk?. 42 Dog Reactivity on Walks Training With Food Rewards Common Dog Myths Busted Dog Training: Will It Dull My Dog s Personality? 47 Useful Dog Tricks: How To Teach Your Dog To Touch How Important Is Puppy School? Digging and Chewing The Downside of Getting Two Puppies at Once: What is Litter Mate Syndrome? Part 2: What To Do If There Are Dog Fights In Your Home Will Playing Tug Make A Dog Aggressive?... 54

4 Getting a new puppy or dog Buyer Tips How to Prevent and Stop Destructive Behaviours...57 Why Do Some Dogs Eat Poo? Mouthing and Biting Expectations Fetch: What To Do If Your Dog Won t Bring The Ball Back Why Do Dogs Eat Grass? What is NILIF and Why Should You Apply it to Your Dog? How to Help Your Dog to Deal With Grief Appropriate Dog to Dog Greetings What is Crate Training (And why is it important?) How To Help Your Rescue Dog To Settle Into Your Home HOW Do I Stop My Puppy From Mouthing and Biting? Keeping Dogs Cool in The Heat The One Tool We Need To See More Of Why I Always Ask About A Dog s Diet What To Do If Your Dog Eats Too Fast Bed Destroyers! Should You Train Without Food?... 78

5 How to Greet A Dog You Don t Know Dealing With Distractions Training Multiple Dogs... 81

6 Introduction This book is a collection of short articles on a wide variety of dog behaviour and training issues that have been written over the last several years. All the topics are listed in the contents section so if you are looking for something in particular it should be easy to find there. Dog Matters is a professional in-home dog training service for the Bundaberg Region, and is proudly owned and run by Certified dog trainer, Tenille Williams. Whether your dog has a specific behaviour issue you need help with, or if you would like some obedience training training for your dog, Dog Matters can help you both in person and online.

7 Chapter One Common Puppy Issues Whether puppy raising is new to you or you have done it all before but forgotten how hard it is, we re here to help you. Let s start with some common issues. TOILET TRAINING Teach your puppy to go in the right spot by taking him there and praising him when he goes. You can add a cue such as toilet when he starts to get it and then praise him for going when you say the cue. Toilet training is all about consistency and timing. Take your puppy out to the same spot after every sleep, play or feed and wait for him to go. Then praise, have a little game and go back inside. Ignore all mistakes. If your puppy has an accident it is because you haven t taken him out at the right time. What s done is done. NEVER rub a pup s nose in it. This is cruel and will cause your pup to fear you. It can also make the problem worse or cause coprophagia (eating poo which some dogs learn to do to hide it as they have learnt they get punished if the poo is there when the owner arrives). JUMPING UP This is normal canine greeting behaviour and it s your job to teach your puppy that it is not acceptable. The reason that jumping up often becomes a bad habit is that it has been reinforced when the dog is a puppy because the puppy is small and cute, people let it put its paws on them and then pat and cuddle them which rewards the behaviour. The best way to teach your dog not to jump up is to teach it from the day you get your puppy home. This is only being fair to the puppy who can t understand that jumping up is okay when he s little but not when he gets bigger. To teach your puppy to stop jumping, simply turn away and ignore him every time he does it. Ignore means no eye contact, no speaking, no pushing or touching. All these things are a form of attention and can actually reward the puppy. When the puppy gives up and puts all four feet on the floor or sits, give him pats and praise. As soon as he lifts his feet again, turn and ignore again, be a statue. Keep repeating this and have everyone be consistent with these rules. Your puppy will be well mannered and will stop jumping up in no time! PLAY BITING Another normal behaviour. In fact it is a necessary part of a pup s development. Siblings play bite each other and when one bites too hard, the sibling will yelp!. This is how they learn not to bite too hard and therefore keep the game going. They

8 are learning an important skill called bite inhibition. Bite inhibition is what stops a dog from biting too hard in an unexpected situation such as his tail being stepped on by mistake or a bad fright which makes your dog feel like he needs to defend himself. Some trainers will recommend that you mimic this behaviour and make a high pitched sound such as OUCH! and stop playing immediately and ignore. Wait a few moments before playing again. Your puppy will gradually start to bite less hard and less often. I have found that there is a slight chance that this will work but for a lot of puppies it excites them too much when a human makes a high pitched noises, especially if the pup is biting children. I have found it more effective to say a firm, no and end the game immediately - put the puppy in a time out or leave the situation and leave the puppy completely where it will be left alone and can t follow you. Puppy Socialisation In the last section we discussed puppy training tips, now we will discuss another very important aspect of puppy raising. Socialisation involves teaching your puppy about all the different things he will need to be comfortable with throughout his life. The early period from 3 to 14 weeks of age is critical as the experience your puppy has in this time shapes the temperament and personality that he will have as an adult dog. Learning during the critical period is permanent and will remain in the dog s memory for life. Puppies that aren t socialised can grow into fearful dogs who often can t cope with the world around them. Often there are less serious side effects stemming from a lack of socialisation, such as dogs who are fearful of certain things, like lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners. Under socialised dogs can also be fearful of very specific things that they haven t been exposed to, like people with sunglasses or beards. Most people bring their new puppy home at around 8 weeks of age, already half way through this impressionable stage. The breeder should have started socialising the puppy. It s now up to you to take your pup out and about and teach him about the big wide world and all the things in it. This includes all sorts of people men, women, children, babies; little dogs, big dogs, puppies and older dogs; machinery, cars all sorts of things they will encounter throughout their life. Puppies need vaccinations before being exposed to environments where they could catch diseases. There is always some degree of risk (even if the puppy does stay at home) but there are also many safe places to socialise your puppy. If you keep your puppy at home until all vaccinations are complete at 16 weeks of age, you have

9 missed the most important time to socialise. Most vets realised the importance of early socialisation so if in doubt, speak to your vet about safe places to go. Also remember your puppy doesn t have to be on the ground, you can hold them safely, or take them to see various things on car trips. For socialisation to be successful it must always be a positive experience for the puppy and the puppy should never be forced. Use treats, pats and praise to show the puppy that new things are safe and pleasant. I find the best way to socialise is to simply play with your puppy around lots of places and things. This way, puppy learns that you are the most rewarding thing in any environment and not to worry about anything else. This will also help to create a focussed dog. What Is Socialisation? The big topic for puppy owners is socialisation but what exactly does socialisation mean? For many people, the immediate thought is socialising the puppy with other dogs to help create dog that is dog-friendly. While this is part of socialisation, it is only a small part. We have touched on puppy socialisation in the past but this article is aimed at giving you further understanding of what we want to achieve out of socialisation and why. Puppies have a window between 3 and 14 weeks of age called the critical period of development or critical period of socialisation. Learning in this stage is permanent so this is the time we want to do the most work on socialisation but then also continue it throughout the dog s life. This means the breeder should have started the work and then you continue it when you bring home your puppy at 8 weeks of age. Socialisation is to add a value, either neutral, positive or negative, to a person, dog, object, environment or other thing the pup may encounter in its lifetime. The puppy will either have a bad experience creating a negative value, a good experience creating a positive value, or a neutral experience creating the feeling of the object, person, dog or thing being neither bad nor particularly exciting. We want to avoid any negative experiences, especially during puppy-hood. Positive experiences are great for the puppy to have but this can have the drawback of increased distractions when you are trying to train. For example, say you socialise your puppy to other dogs by letting him or her play with other dogs in vigorous sessions. This teaches the puppy that other dogs are the most exciting thing on the planet. However later in life when you are at the off lead dog park and you want your dog to come to you but it can see another dog who it wants to go and play with, your dog will most likely choose that other dog over you as the other dog is a more exciting option.

10 We aim here for neutralisation whereby we expose the dog to different stimulus yet show the dog that the handler is always more exciting and interesting. The reason we do it this way is to make training easier by teaching the dog that the handler is the most exciting thing in its environment. We expose the pup to a new thing, dog or person and show the pup that it is no threat yet not particularly exciting compared to what we have to offer. This helps to teach your pup all about the world but keep a higher value for you. This makes training a lot easier as you can t train a dog anything unless you can have its attention! It s important to start teaching your pup about the world around it from the day you bring it home. The pup needs to be vaccinated before you start taking it out but by the time pup is fully vaccinated you are no longer in the critical period of development. Consult with your vet and trainer on safe places to go to socialise, however, there is always some risk of disease. Think of socialisation in the critical period as another vaccination against serious behavioural problems! A well socialisation puppy is a well behaved dog. When looking for a puppy school, be sure that the instructor is qualified and make sure that the puppies don t have a free-for-all where they are all running riot playing with each other. This can work against you and even cause dog aggression and fear based issues if pups are allowed to play too roughly and bully one another. The Benefits of Training Your Dog Training has many benefits and whether you have an adult dog or a puppy, you should begin training with your dog the day you bring him or her home. Kind training increases the bond between human and dog and teaches your dog to trust you and look to you as a leader. It opens up a clear way to communicate to each other and helps you to learn to understand your dog s body language and needs. Regular training allows you to set clear rules and boundaries for your dog to follow. Training also sets the groundwork required to prevent and more easily manage any behaviour problems which may arise. Another very important aspect of dog training is that it provides mental stimulation to the dog. When a dog is thinking and problem solving, he is getting valuable mental exercise and this can help to settle him if he has excess energy. You can even replace a walk with some training sessions on rainy days or when you can t get out for a walk for some other reason.

11 Once your dog has mastered the basics, you can start training tricks or dog sports such as agility to keep your dog mentally and physically active. Trick training is a great way to give mental stimulation and can really make a dog tired. A great way to train tricks and obedience is by using clicker training. You can find more information on how clicker training works on the Dog Matters website dogmatters.com It is especially effective to begin training at an early age to teach the puppy to use its brain. In effect, the dog will be learning how to learn. This will then set him up to succeed in the future. Have an older dog? No problem, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks and it s never too late to start training! No matter the breed or age, training is an essential part of being a responsible dog owner. Dog Matters can come to you and train in your own home with private lessons tailored to suit your needs. Weekly group classes are also an option, and are a great way to learn socialisation skills, teach manners and train your dog to ignore distractions. Above all, make sure you keep training fun and interesting for both you and your dog. Use lots of praise and encouragement. Train when you re in a good mood and let your dog know how happy you are when he gets it right! How Do I Stop My Dog From Digging? Digging is a common problem. In this article we ll look at some of the reasons dogs dig as well as some of the treatment options. So why do dogs dig in the first place? Young dogs may be more prone to digging as they have excess energy and a higher level of curiosity. Digging can be very rewarding for a dog. Some dogs just love to dig! This can make it difficult to stop as your dog feels rewarded just for doing it. Terriers or part terriers are more genetically programmed to dig so if you have a terrier breed, they may be more likely to dig. Dogs can dig because they are bored. They may not be getting enough physical exercise or mental stimulation. Consider giving your dog longer walks and some vigorous play. Play time in the back yard is not very fulfilling to a dog because they are in their backyard all the time. They get a lot more tired when they are taken out

12 of the yard for a walk, run or play because as well as the exercise, they get stimulation from taking in the sights and smells. Usually holes dug at the fence line indicates that the dog wants to get out. If this is the case, consider whether your dog is digging as an attempt to escape. Is it hot weather? Freshly dug up dirt is cool and some dogs will lay in it to escape the heat if they don t have enough shelter. Consider if your dog has enough cool shade and other methods to cool down. If your dog is burying bones or other food, this could be a sign of over feeding Occasionally a dog may even learn to dig after seeing their owner or another dog dig in the garden! The treatment options depend on the reason the dog is digging; so consider the possibilities mentioned above. You may need to remove your dog from the environment for a time until he can be supervised. If your dog is digging in the same area continually, restrict the access to the area fence it off. If you are going to correct your dog, only do so if you catch him in the act. Punishment after the fact is ineffective. If your dog is only a puppy and is digging, try interrupting the behaviour with something new and distracting for the pup to do. Supervision is key here. Another option is to provide an alternative, appropriate place to dig sand pits are great. You can then bury toys and/or treats to encourage the use of the pit instead of your garden. A great solution I have found is to fill the whole with fresh dog poo yep. Cover with a layer of dirt. When your dog returns to dig and smells the poo, he won t want to dig any further! You can also bury rocks or place chicken wire in the hole so it doesn t feel nice to the dog to hit with his paws. Ensure dog has access to adequate sleeping area in case your dog is digging for a cool place to rest. Are You Giving Your Dog Enough Exercise? How much exercise do you give your dog? I ask this question as part of every behaviour assessment. Here are some of the most common answers:

13 We throw the ball for him in the back yard We have a large back yard He runs around all day with the other dog in the yard The dog doesn't like to go for walks / exercise. Keep in mind, the question I have asked is - "How much exercise do you give your dog?" So how much do you actively go out of your way to give to your dog? Running around in the backyard or fetching a ball is a form of exercise. But the more exercise your dog gets outside of the home environment, the more mental stimulation the dog is receiving and the more likely the dog can fulfil their instincts and physical needs. A big part of stimulation your dog receives on a walk is through scent. Your dog already knows the scents of the backyard. But each time you take your dog out for a walk, there are new smells to explore. Dogs have an extremely good sense of smell, so good that what they smell in the environment tells them important information about other dogs that have been there and the status of the other dogs. Scents tell dogs all sorts of information about the environment. So when you go for a walk outside, sniffing gives dogs information to process they are thinking and this is a form of stimulation that helps to tire them out. Keep in mind your dog's breed and what they were bred for, then compare it to what your dog is actually getting. For example, Border Collies are designed to herd sheep in all conditions running back and forth all day long. How close does your border collie get to that? Unless we live on a farm and work sheep, this is impossible for most of us. But can we do more than throwing a ball in the back yard? How close can we get to what the breed was originally intended for? We can make up for what we lack by giving the dog daily walks and mental stimulation. This is where teaching tricks is handy. As mentioned, mental stimulation can tire dogs out as much as physical stimulation. Just as people get tired when studying and learning, so do dogs. It s good to provide your dog with both mental and physical exercise daily. Don't be fooled into thinking your smaller breed doesn't need exercise - all dogs do. The amount and type will depend on the breed and what it was bred for, the dog's age, and the personality of the dog. These are important considerations to think about before getting any new dog. You need to make sure you are prepared for the work of keeping him physically and mentally fit and healthy. Should You Get a Second Dog? You may be thrilled with the companionship of your dog but worry whether he or she is lonely during the day. Or you might just want another dog for yourself for various reasons. In my experience and from talking to many others, there are pros

14 and cons to having one dog or two. Some people have a whole pack of dogs (lucky them!). There is no straight forward answer to which is best but in this article I will discuss a few things that I would consider. The first thing to consider is the age gap. I would space the dogs apart by at least two years if it were me. This gives you time to train the first dog to a reasonable level before introducing the second dog. When a puppy comes along, you need to spend a lot of time training him or her. If the existing dog has bad habits, the new dog or pup can pick them up easily too. This can also apply older dogs if you are adopting an adult. Another thing to consider is vet bills. Any long term health issues like joint problems or allergies are likely to come up within the first year or two of life. Also if you have two young dogs together, you will also have two older dogs together which means more vet bills together, and the heartache of losing two dogs close together. If you get a puppy, the puppy and the older dog will need supervision and shouldn t be left unsupervised to play for the first few weeks. Puppies get tired quickly and need their sleep if your existing dog wants to play continually with the puppy, the puppy will get exhausted and even sick. You also want to make sure your existing dog and new puppy or adult dog get along well together. It may take some time for them to get to know each other. Just like people, not all dogs automatically like each other - but dogs don t get much choice in the other dogs they live with. Yes, a second dog can be great for company but that can also work against you with training because your dogs can see each other as their best friend rather than you, and would rather be with the other dog than with you training. It may be best to concentrate on raising one dog and spend a lot of time training that dog to look to you as the best reward there is. That way, you can make sure the level of training is where you want it before considering doing it all over again. These are some of the main things to consider when thinking of whether to get another dog. Training is very important and you can t train two dogs at once so when you have two dogs its twice the work and almost twice the time. To be fair to the dogs, you should make sure you can make this time commitment before bringing another dog home. With all dogs, make sure you do your breed research thoroughly and take your time. Never rush into such an important decision.

15 Canine Calming Signals What Is Your Dog Trying To Tell You? Dogs rely heavily on body language to communicate, whereas as people we rely more on the spoken language. It s important that we learn some canine body language so that we may better understand what our dog is trying to tell us. Some of the canine language we are about to discuss can be mistaken to mean the wrong thing, even to the point of being bitten! First of all we will discuss calming signals. These are subtle signals that all dogs use to avoid threats and to tell other dogs, animals or people that they are uncomfortable with what is going on. They also use these signals to calm down nervousness, noise or unpleasant things, and to make friends. Of course, some of these signals can be used at other times so it s important to put the signal into context when deciphering whether it s a calming signal or not. If you notice your dog doing any of the following, it may be a calming signal: Turning his head to the side Turning eyes away to avoid eye contact Turning his back or side to you Licking his nose Freezing in position Walking slowly using slow movements Yawning when not tired Sitting or lying down submissively Sniffing with nose to the ground Physically going between dogs or people Licking faces Lifting paws up and down Making himself smaller

16 Slow blinking Even different ways of wagging his tail may be a calming signal. Dogs also show signs of stress such as when they are stressed during training. Such signs of stress may include: Scratching himself when there are no fleas Shaking off (to release stress) Yawning Nose licking Tongue flicking Sniffing the ground a lot Does a wagging tail mean a happy dog? Not necessarily. Tail wagging is simply a sign of arousal for a number of reasons. The dog may be happy and excited, or may be nervous and fearful. Aggressive dogs barking at fences are often wagging their tails, but this doesn t mean they re happy to see you and it s safe to enter or pat them. The position of the tail, along with the rest of the dog s body language needs to be considered before knowing what frame of mind the dog is in. Make sure your kids know that just because a dog is wagging its tail, it doesn t mean he is friendly and safe to pat. It s best to be on the safe side and not pat unknown dogs without the owner s permission. Now you ve learnt a few canine signals. Watch your dog over the next few days and see if he or she displays any of these signals. See if you know what your dog is trying to tell you! Is Your Dog An Attention Seeker? Attention seeking is a common problem presented by dogs of all ages and it presents itself in several different ways. Some are so subtle you may not even realise it, while some are very obvious. Some attention seeking behaviours include: barking, scratching/whining at the back door, jumping up, mouthing, pawing/nudging, staring and general disobedience.

17 Dogs that love attention may find satisfaction in even the smallest response from their owner. Any attention is good attention even verbal punishment and eye contact. Some examples that dog s may find rewarding and therefore should be avoided are: Patting the dog, Physical contact such as pushing down a dog that is jumping, Verbal responses not using a suitable tone of voice, Laughing dogs find this highly rewarding! Picking the dog up Letting the dog inside Going outside to the dog to discipline Rushing over to the dog Not correcting inappropriate behaviour It may be hard to ignore your dog as the dog s efforts may become more intense. But do not give in. If you try to ignore the dog and then give in due to frustration, your dog will learn that trying harder for longer is what works. Ignoring your dog until it stops will be even harder next time. Attention seeking is reinforced easily, and this makes the behaviour likely to continue. There are some things you can do to lessen the attention seeking that your dog displays. Put in place boundaries and rules and be a confident leader to your dog. Just like children dogs need love as well as rules. If your dog is a chronic attention seeker, make sure you are the one initiating all contact between yourself and the dog. When the dog tries to initiate the contact, ignore him until he has given up. All members of the house should follow this rule. Additionally, the dog can work for all that it receives including attention, food, and access to resources. This means the dog should perform a task such as a command or trick before being given privileges like meals and affection. This teaches the dog that it cannot come up and demand what it wants for free. One of the hardest parts of treatment is making sure that no one in the house-hold is rewarding the dog accidently for attention seeking. Persistence and consistency is really important. In addition to these tips, make sure you spend plenty of quality time with your dog so that he doesn t feel the need to ask for attention all the time. Consider - is this is the reason that the dog is pestering you for attention in the first place?

18 Choosing The Right Dog For Your Lifestyle When choosing a dog, there is a lot to consider and the decision shouldn t be taken lightly. So many people choose a dog based on looks alone and then end up in a world of trouble. You wouldn t choose a partner based on looks alone and nor should you choose a dog that way. Choosing to bring a dog into the family deserves as much though and preparation as choosing to have children. Dogs live for 12 to 15 years, often longer and as the owner you need to be committed to the life of the dog, not just the cutest or easiest stages. Often people will meet someone else s great dog and they have to have one of the same breed so that they can have such a great dog too. Not all dogs in one breed are the same however. Each dog is an individual and although breeds have characteristics that are the norm, they are subject to variation. The genetics of an individual dog and the environment it is raised in also play a critical role in the way a dog will turn out. Some people believe that cross bred dogs are superior based on their experiences. Some are great dogs and some are not. You may see a good looking dog with a great personality on a movie or television show. Breeds are often made popular by movies, for example, Dalmatian in 101 Dalmatians, the border collie made popular by the movie Babe. Unfortunately, this has led to many dogs landing in unsuitable homes. Working breeds such as the border collie need a job to do. They are bred to work constantly. Can you devote the time required each day to satisfy this need? Before deciding to get a dog, spend some time evaluating what you can offer the dog, not just what the dog can offer to you. Don t base your decision purely on the now, think of the long term. For example, some people aim to get a dog that is cheap or free. In reality, the initial purchase price is a tiny fraction of what you will need to spend on the dog throughout its life to provide adequate care and be a responsible dog owner. Research thoroughly before making a decision. Some other important things to consider are: Housing where will the dog spend most of its time? If you want the dog to live outdoors, will it be getting enough attention? Are

19 you allowed to keep a dog where you live? Ie rental properties or body corporates Time how much time are you willing and able to commit to the dog? This is very important. Dogs need quality time from their packs. As a responsible owner, you will also need to devote time to exercise and training Finances The purchase price is the last cost to consider can you afford to provide the proper care? Would you have enough money in the event of an emergency? Could you afford pet insurance? There is also vaccinations, flea and heartworm treatments, food and grooming to consider Activity this is a big one. Does the activity level of the individual dog you want match you activity level? Can you keep up and provide adequate exercise and stimulation? People and household what sort of people will your dog live with and come into contact with? Is everyone in the house agreeable to having a dog? All too often I see dogs in homes that are less than ideal. Many owners just aren t willing to devote time to training and responsible ownership. I often wonder why people bother to get dogs when they are left in the back yard full time and ignored. As pack animals, dogs need to feel included as part of the family. Inside vs Outside Should You Bring The Dog In? People who allow their dogs indoors don t see the point of owning a dog if you re not going to spend time with it. People who believe that dogs should stay outside often believe that allowing a dog inside will cause the dog to become soft or spoiled as well as making the home less pleasant. Current studies in dog psychology show that dogs isolated in backyards are highly likely to develop serious behavioural problems that often result in euthanasia for the animal. Certainly, dogs benefit from spending some time outside. But this time should consist of play sessions in the yard and walks around the neighbourhood, not solitary confinement outdoors. Here are some points to consider:

20 Dogs are social animals. Dogs are by nature pack animals, so keeping dogs outside denies them a place in the family pack which is quite psychologically damaging for the dog. They like to be wherever the family is. Inside dogs exhibit fewer behavioural problems. Since all of the dog s instincts are telling her that it is not good to be left alone or isolated from her pack, the outside only dog can become very stressed or anxious. This results in digging, barking, howling, destructiveness, chewing, escaping and displaying hyperactivity. These problems can become so troublesome that neighbours may complain. Backyard dogs can be harder to train. As they spend less time with the family, they form less of a bond, making training more difficult. Protection for YOU, not your backyard. A dog becomes naturally protective of the area he lives in and will only defend this area. Unless allowed to spend time inside, your dog will not feel protective of this area. Where do you keep your valuables inside or on the lawn? It is not uncommon to hear stories of families being robbed while their dog snoozed peacefully in the backyard. More value for money. Most people today own dogs primarily for companionship. Lifestyles have changed and where people once did spend a lot more time outdoors gardening, playing and working, people are now busier working longer hours, getting home later and spending more time in front of the television or computer. Due to hectic schedules, we actually spend 75% less time outdoors. If added to this, the dog is not allowed indoors, the time you spend together becomes negligible. To make the cost and effort of owning a dog worthwhile, it makes sense to bring them in to spend time with them. Dogs learn from you. Every minute you are together, the dog is learning by observation. The inside dog quickly learns what behaviours lead to walks, treats and play and what doesn t. Even without formal training the inside dog quickly learns how to fit in with family life. You will learn to read your dog more easily as well. With limited time spent with you, the outside dog is less able to integrate into your lifestyle successfully. What can you do? The key is to spend more time with your dog. Ideally the bare minimum would be that the dog is allowed in when you are home and to sleep indoors at night. You do not have to spend every waking minute playing with your dog but the fact that he can be with you while you watch TV or work on the computer is very important for his well-being. Train your dog. If your dog is untrained, take him to training classes. Begin training the day you bring your new puppy home. Well trained dogs can quickly and easily learn great house manners. Ideally you should teach your dog house

21 manners from a puppy but any dog can learn to be well mannered in the house. If you need help with general house manners, give us a call or . Keep the dog clean. Remember, the Queen even keeps her Corgis indoors. Properly cared for dogs are perfectly suited to sharing our homes with us. Dogs should be kept generally clean and also free of internal and external parasites. Assistance dogs such as guide dogs for the blind live in the home and also accompanies their owners to many public areas such as restaurants and hospitals. A dog s condition is a reflection of your attitude towards him. A clean, healthy dog is a loved dog. What if there is no other option? For some, they dearly love their dogs but do not have the option to allow their dog indoors, whether because of landlord s limitations or someone else who lives in the house not being able to live with a dog, perhaps due to allergies. If the is the case, spend more time outdoors so that your dog s needs can be met. Give your dog a chance to be your best friend don t kick him out because you think he is untrainable, unruly or you think it is good for him to be outside. Instead take the time to make him part of your family, part of your pack. Is Your Dog Guilty? It s really common to hear owners say things like, he knows he has done something wrong, or I can tell when she has done something wrong,look at that guilty face! It is easy to humanise our dogs because we see them as part of the family. But while your dog knows he is in trouble, he doesn t always know what it is that he did wrong. When you see a guilty look on the dogs face and the dog shows other signs of perceived guilt, the dog is actually showing appeasement behaviours. Dogs can read body language better than we can. They can also sense the slightest change in your stance, voice or posture. This means that if you even suspect that the dog has done something wrong when you walk into the room, the dog will pick up on your emotion and offer calming signals to try and avoid any conflict. This especially happens when a dog has been scolded when the owner has returned home in the past. It can quickly lead to the dog expecting to be in trouble as soon as the owner returns home. If a dog has been scolded when she has had an accident in the house, the dog can learn that she gets in trouble each time the owner arrives and there is faeces in the room. She doesn t necessarily make the connection that she is in trouble to making the mess. However, this can lead to dogs eating their own poo to get rid of the thing that is always there when they have gotten in trouble!

22 Alexandra Horowitz, Assistant Professor from Barnard College in New York, uncovered the origins of the guilty look in dogs in the recently published Canine Behaviour and Cognition Special Issue of Elsevier s Behavioural Processes. This study was able to show that humans will quickly assign a dog s body language to being a display of guilt when they believe the dog has done something wrong, even if the dog is completely innocent. During the study, owners were asked to leave the room after ordering their dogs not to eat a tasty treat. While the owner was away, some of the dogs were given the treat while others were not. But the experimenters told some owners that their dog had eaten the treat while other owners were told their dog behaved. The thing was, what the owners were told wasn t true in every case. Whether the dog showed a guilty display did not match up to whether they had actually taken the treat or behaved. In fact, many of the dogs who behaved perfectly were the ones who looked the most guilty. So remember your dog thinks differently to a human so that you can always be fair with your discipline. Boredom Busters Keeping Your Dog Busy While You Are Away When you have to leave your young dog or puppy alone while you go out, they are sure to get bored. If you don t give them a job to do, they will find one themselves. Chewing helps exercise jaw muscles and is a soothing exercise that passes the time. But puppies don t know that there is a difference between chewing on a chew toy made for dogs or chewing on your household items or furniture. To help prevent chewing on your precious items, keep them out of reach of your puppy when you can t supervise. Give your puppy its own safe space to be while you are out where there isn t anything he or she can destroy. The next step is to give the pup a job to do. There are hundreds of interactive puzzle toys available for dogs. One famous puzzle toy is the Kong. These can be filled with treats that the dog has to work out of the rubber. The rubber itself can then be chewed and is pretty tough stuff. You can buy super tough Kongs for super strong chewers if they manage to get through a standard Kong. A popular way to stuff a Kong is to use peanut butter with treats through it. The peanut butter makes it last longer as it is sticky and the dog has to lick through it and work the sticky treats out as well. Another great way to stuff a Kong is to freeze it. I make up chicken or beef stock, plug the end of the Kong with blu-tac and wrap it in a freezer bag, fill it with the stock and then freeze it. I also put

23 some treats in as well which freeze into the stock and add an extra job. Once frozen, simply remove the blu-tac stopper and give it to your dog. This is also great for hot days too. SAFETY: If you have ever wondered why Kongs have a small hole in the small end, it is so that the dog s tongue can t get stuck inside the Kong by suction. This is painful and can result in tongue amputation. Never use a cheap imitation product that doesn t have this hole. Also, make sure you have selected the appropriate sized Kong for your dog so that they can t get it stuck in their throat and choke on it. Another freeze toy which I have used myself and my dogs love, is the Dogzilla Deep Freeze. It s half rubber and half ice-block! You join it together and fill it through the holes and freeze it. I use stock and treats in these too. There are hundreds more interactive toys you can try. Here s another one that I have used by Premier. It s called the Busy Buddy Tug-a-jug. The dog has to figure out to pull the rope so that it knocks the treats out. My Border Collie Chester has a ball with this one. Although some of these can be expensive, I believe you get what you pay for. Cheap products don t last as well and are often dangerous. Always keep safety in mind when selecting a toy for your dog. Important TIP: No matter how many toys you have for your dog, rotate them. This means don t leave all the toys out with the dog all the time, they will just get boring like part of the scenery. Mix it up from time to time. Change the toys around every couple of days. Also mix up the different treats that you put inside them. Help! My Dog Pulls! Why dogs pull Dogs have an opposition reflex, which means that when pressure is put on them, they will resist it. So when pressure is put on their neck when you are trying to pull them back on a walk, this will only encourage them to pull more as they will naturally want to pull against the pressure. Equipment There are many training tools that you can use to help train your dog not to pull. Many of these tools are band-aid solutions. They curb the dog s pulling but they are not actually teaching the dog what is required a loose leash at all times. This article is written with a flat collar or martingale collar in mind. Some training tools are suitable for some dogs and not for others. Some tools that are very popular can cause serious damage to your dog if you do not know how to use them properly. And some tools, such as harnesses that attach at the back, can encourage your dog to pull even more. For more information about the different training tools available, consult your trainer. What to do

24 If your dog pulls, this method can help you to teach him to walk on a loose lead. If your dog is a chronic puller and has been pulling for a long time, extra help may be needed and you should consult your trainer. The trick is to start from the very beginning in your house where you put the lead on your dog. Your dog should patiently sit and calmly wait for you to clip the lead on. If your dog is used to walks and jumps, whines, barks or displays any other over excitement when you are trying to clip the lead on, take the lead off and put it back away. Continue this as many times as necessary until your dog sits calmly and waits for the lead to be put on. Begin walking around your house in a quiet area such as the living room. If your dog charges ahead of you, stop, change direction and start again. When your dog walks nicely at your side, mark the behaviour with yes, good dog, or a clicker, and give a high value food reward. When your dog has this mastered in a few areas of the house, start the process over again in the back yard. Once mastered there, progress to the front door. Be patient and do not move on to the next step until your dog is making no mistakes. THE FRONT DOOR It s time to really test your patience. With your dog on lead, open the front door and prepare to walk through with your dog. EVERY TIME your dog pulls ahead out the door in front of you, stop and bring your dog back inside and shut the door. Repeat this as many times as necessary until you dog calmly walks through the door without pulling ahead. Even if it takes one hundred times. THE WALK Now that you are outside, repeat the same method you used inside. Start in an environment with less distractions and only move on to a more distracting environment when your dog has been successful. Remember to give your dog lots of praise when he is by your side. If you are patient and persistent with this method, you will soon be walking a well-mannered dog by your side. Like all training, it takes patience, dedication and consistency. If you have more than one dog, always train dogs separately until they have mastered the skill being taught. Then put the two together and start from the beginning with the both of them. Excessive Barking When barking increases this can cause headaches for you and your neighbours. There are many reasons dogs bark. Some of the most common reasons are: Attention Seeking

25 Excitement Boredom Territorial or predatory behaviour Fear Separation Related Behaviour The dog has not received enough socialisation The dog has been rewarded for barking in the past Barking can become an ingrained habit because many dogs enjoy it. For this reason it is important to reduce the opportunities for the dog to bark. Meanwhile you can work on alternative behaviours for your dog. Like all behaviour problems, treatment will depend on the cause of the barking. Most success will be achieved if the cause is addressed appropriately. This may take some time and usually involves changes to the dog s diet, routine, environmental enrichment, training and exercise. If all of these things are in place, your dog should not be barking excessively. Meanwhile, we can aim to treat the symptoms. Treatment options for barking may include but are not limited to: Mask the noise/s that are causing the dog to bark. Leave the radio or TV on. Remove the dog from the environment keep the dog inside, in the garage at night, or fence off an area Habituation and desensitisation program to get the dog used to whatever is causing it to bark. Put the barking on cue and a quiet command on cue. This way your dog can learn to bark when told and be quiet when told. Suitable punishments depend on the cause of the barking. Remember that to be effective, any punishment or reward must occur immediately after the act. Other strategies include addressing attention seeking, providing environmental enrichment, and addressing any leadership issues. Toilet Training Troubles! Many of my clients have welcomed new dogs and especially puppies to their families over the holidays. It s an exciting time! Puppies are a joy to own but a lot of hard work. Those who have owned puppies before often comment that they forgot how much work is involved and those who are first timers sometimes didn t realise exactly how much work they were in for. But I promise it is all worth the effort.

26 One of the biggest hurdles with new puppies can be toilet training and so I thought it would be a good time to write an article on the subject. These processes can be used with puppies and adult dogs. However the owner should begin with the end in mind, as dogs do develop preferences for surfaces to eliminate on. Therefore, owners should be encouraged to start training in the place they would like the dog to eliminate in for the long term. Take the puppy/dog to the place where you want him to go and praise when you get the desired response Take puppy/dog to the same spot each time. Encourage them to walk rather than carry, as this teaches the pathway to the area You should take the puppy every 2 to 3 hours and especially after any meals, after play and as soon as the puppy wakes. You can introduce a cue word such as empty, toilet etc. Say the word right as the puppy begins to go, then praise. You can even offer a treat as a reward Keep alert and watch for signs that the dog may need to go out these include sniffing and circling Restrict access to areas in the house to prevent accidents and ensure adequate supervision Don t feed just before bed allow time for digestion and toileting Clean up any mess in the dog s absence to avoid unwanted attention DON T use cleaners that contain ammonia as they smell like urine Keep a chart if you are having problems. This helps to recognise patterns and pre-empt accidents Startle the dog if you catch him in the act. Don t yell at or punish the dog. Simply make a noise to distract the pup, then move the pup to the toilet area. Never punish the dog after the event. Even if you take the dog over to the mess, they do not understand. NEVER rub the dog s nose in faeces or urine. People who proclaim that this works have not stopped to consider that the problem may have gotten better with time anyway, as the puppy has grown and developed better bladder control. All you will achieve is mistrust and fear in your dog. Crate training is another fantastic option for toilet training and works wonders. If you follow this program consistently, you should see results in two weeks. We consider a dog fully house trained if there has not been an accident in four weeks.

27 Adopting A Rescue Dog When looking for a dog, there are several options to choose from but not all of them are recommended. For instance, many pet shop puppies come from puppy farms where dogs are kept in appalling conditions and bred constantly. Then there are back yard breeders who have bred a litter to make some money, show the kids the miracle of life, or had an accidental or unplanned litter. These puppies are often seen at the markets. Buying a pup from such sources is a gamble as you risk health defects that the breeders knew nothing about and did not test for. Without papers there is no way to know that you are getting the breed you are paying for. Unfortunately dogs bred in such circumstances make up a large portion of the dogs found in pounds and shelters on death row. If you want a certain breed from puppy-hood and want to know exactly what you re getting, a registered and ethical, reputable breeder is the way to go. These breeders will health test for genetic diseases and should not be breeding for financial gain but to improve the breed by breeding for health and temperament. Due to higher quality breeding procedures, the initial purchase price may be higher but you get what you pay for and purchase price is long forgotten down the track when you have spent much more on keeping the dog. However, if you are flexible on breed and /or age, saving a rescue dog might be just the right option for you. Sometimes puppies are available through rescue groups so you can still have the joy of raising a puppy and moulding it the way you want it. The only thing is that if it s a mixed breed you aren t going to know exactly what size it will turn out to be. The temperament will depend partly on the genes and partly on how you raise the dog. ** Most dogs available through rescue are aged between 6 months and 2 years of age. It s common for these dogs to be dumped or handed over to the pound or shelter at around 9 months of age as this is when the dog is behaving as an adolescent, presenting some challenges and is no longer the cute and small puppy it was not so long ago. However, with some consistent training these dogs have nothing wrong with them and will make a great pet. You will find all different breeds and crosses available of all different shapes, sizes, ages and energy levels. There is sure to be something to suit you. It is extremely important to choose a dog with energy levels that you can match so that you can give the dog the exercise and training it needs. Owners choosing a dog that is not suitable is a major cause of dogs being given up to shelters so you want to make sure this won t happen to you. Don t choose a dog based on looks alone - there is a lot more to consider. The prettiest dog may be an absolute nightmare if its energy levels are not matched to your lifestyle. Bringing an adult from a shelter or home where he is no longer wanted and offering it a new life is one of the most rewarding experiences that dog lovers can have. Some adoptions can have their challenges. Cutting out the puppy raising stage and adopting an adult dog can have its advantages too. Dogs from responsible rescue groups come with all their vet work done saving you time and money. They are desexed, vaccinated and micro-chipped. Some things to look out for are overly timid or fearful dogs. These dogs need someone very dedicated to rehabilitation including a sacrifice of time and money and this is not for everyone. Never pick the shy, fearful dog just because you feel sorry for it.

28 What A Dog s Tail Tells There are many different shapes and sizes of tail amongst the various dog breeds. This is due to selective breeding and mutations of the original wolf tail. The tail is an extension of the spinal column and also acts as a stabiliser when the dog moves, especially when running or making tight and fast turns. The tail also plays an important role in body language and canine communication. Does a wagging tail mean a happy dog? It does sometimes. But not necessarily. Tail wagging is simply a sign of arousal for a number of reasons. The dog may be happy and excited, or may be nervous and fearful. Aggressive dogs barking at fences are often wagging their tails, but this doesn t mean they re happy to see you or that it is safe to enter their yard or pet them. The position of the tail, along with the rest of the dog s body language needs to be considered before knowing what frame of mind the dog is in. Make sure your children know that just because a dog is wagging its tail, it doesn t mean he is friendly or safe to pet. It s best to be on the safe side and not pat unknown dogs without the owner s permission. Generally, a tail carried high and pointing straight upwards is associated with confidence and dominance, such as when meeting another dog. A low carried tail is generally associated with submission and / or fear. It is important to note that dominance and submission are not always the same as aggression and fear. While the signals of a tail are very clear with most breeds, there are several breeds that have natural bobbed tails or curled tails. While tail docking is now illegal there are still a few dogs with docked tails around too. Dogs with these kinds of tails are likely to have communication problems when it comes to other dogs being able to correctly read their body language. The tail plays an important part in the whole body language system. When reading your dog s body language and considering the tail, what the rest of the dog s body is doing should be taken into account as well. This includes body position, ears, mouth and eyes. Inadvertent Reinforcement Inadvertent reinforcement means to reward a behaviour by mistake, making the behaviour stronger and more likely to occur again. When we teach a dog something new that we want them to do we reward every single time until the dog knows the behaviour we are after. Once the dog knows the

29 behaviour we stop rewarding every time and reward randomly instead. The dog never knows which time a reward will come and if the reward has a high value to the dog, this actually makes the behaviour stronger than if we were rewarding every single time. It s like a pokies machine. It does not produce a win every time the handle is pulled but the reward is of such a high value that the person playing continues to pull that lever, just in case. So how does this relate to dog training and rewarding behaviours by mistake? Remember that the reward must have a high value to the dog and that any behaviour that is rewarded is more likely to happen again, especially if rewarded randomly. Think about a dog that barks at the back door to be let inside. The first few times it happened perhaps you let the dog straight inside, therefore rewarding the behaviour every time. Coming inside and/or receiving attention is highly rewarding to most dogs. Then you realise you don t like this behaviour and that letting the dog inside when it barks is only rewarding it. So you decide to ignore the barking until the dog stops. Now, ignoring unwanted behaviours can and does work but it takes time. Your dog is being ignored for barking and the dog thinks, why isn t this working for me anymore? So your dog increases its efforts and barks for longer and louder. Eventually you worry about upsetting the neighbours and the barking is so annoying, so just this once, you let the dog in again. Now your dog has learned that you may not let him in every time but he now needs to bark louder and for longer and eventually you might give in. You have reinforced the behaviour, making it even stronger to stop! So what is the solution? As previously mentioned, ignoring unwanted behaviours can work but it is a difficult process that takes determination and often results in a burst of extra unwanted behaviour when the dog realises that what usually works is no longer working. Don t give in at this point and you will be all set. Of course simply ignoring the unwanted behaviour is not always a practical option and so you can discuss other options with your trainer. Always keep in mind what behaviours you are rewarding with your dog whether you intend to or not. WHY Do They Do That?! Humping Oh dear, you have guests over and your dog is a little too friendly! Some dogs hump people s legs, their toys, pillows, blankets, humps Uncle Joe s leg but not Uncle Sam s or maybe you have that dog in puppy class who tries it on the other puppies!

30 The unwanted affection causes embarrassment and uncomfortable laughter. But why is the dog doing it? Humping, or mounting, is a completely normal and natural behaviour for a dog. Both male and female dogs do it and both entire and desexed dogs do it. Puppies do it from as young as 6 weeks of age before sexual development. There is not a single straight forward answer as to why dogs hump. It depends on the situation and there can be many different reasons for it. I have two dogs currently a desexed male and a desexed female. Some are surprised when they find out it s the female that mounts she does it in play and she is also the more dominant dog during play. Let s have a look at some of the possible reasons behind a dog that is mounting people, objects or other dogs. 1. Dominance. One of the most common reasons that people like to talk about is dominance. Dogs sometimes mount each other to display social status and control. However, I personally think dominance is blamed a lot for things it isn t responsible for. 2. Sexual behaviour. When mounting for sexual reasons, the behaviour is often accompanied by flirtatious behaviours such as tail up, ears back, play bows, licking and pawing. Desexing doesn t always make a difference and many desexed dogs both male and female still mount and hump. 3. Play behaviour. Mounting is part of normal play behaviour. Some dogs that haven t had adequate socialisation as puppies can get over excited and carried away with their behaviour in response to another dog starting play. They don t seem to know appropriate boundaries and body language during play. 4. Stress, anxiety or excitement. Some dogs cope with stressful situations by mounting and humping objects or nearby dogs and people. 5. Compulsive disorders. Mounting can become a compulsive habit, especially if the dog is doing it to cope with stress. This can be a real problem when it interferes with the dog s normal functioning. These are just some of the common reasons for mounting. What should you do about it? If you are really uncomfortable with it or you think it could become a serious bad habit, distract and interrupt your dog each time it starts. Never laugh. Dog s find laughter very reinforcing and it can make the habit more ingrained. If you have a new puppy, interrupt the mounting each time and focus your pup s behaviour onto something else and you will usually find it goes away.

31 5 Lessons Every Dog Puppy Learn It s hard to pick a top 5 most important lessons for a new puppy. This article will cover some of the lessons I consider most important. Being left alone is OK Take it from me separation related issues is one thing you really want to avoid. Most new puppies cry when left alone and this is not the same as a dog with separation anxiety. Train the puppy early to be comfortable while alone whether in a crate, laundry, back yard or dog run etc. Never go to the puppy and let her out when she is crying for attention Come when called A reliable recall would have to be THE most important obedience exercise. This is a safety issue. You do not want your dog to think twice about coming when called if there is an emergency such as your dog running towards a busy road to chase a bird. Make sure that every time your dog comes when you call her, she feels rewarded. Never punish your dog after she has come when called. Even if she has done something wrong beforehand, the last thing she will remember and associate the punishment with is that she came to you when called. Remember, punishment is what the dog finds undesirable. This may include putting the leash back on to go home. Sit & Stay A good reliable sit is useful for many training situations. For example, train a solid sit and teach your dog to sit to greet people rather than jumping up. Rather than teaching dogs the word stay after we have said sit, we teach dogs to hold the commanded position until they hear their release word. Such as, ok or free. Stationing training where we teach the puppy to get on a mat and stay there until release is also an extremely useful skill. Crate training I find a lot of people have never heard of crate training. I too was sceptical at first but now I can t imagine raising a puppy without crate training! Puppies need strict supervision just like a toddler. You wouldn t let a toddler roam free in the house without supervision so why would you let a puppy do it? Free roaming allows puppies to practice bad habits such as chewing things and toileting in the house. Crate training

32 is so useful for those times you can t supervise, great for toilet training, a place for puppy or dog to sleep and also for travel or medical reasons. Teach your puppy to love her crate as her safe haven where pleasant things happen such as games, treats and meals. Leave it Protect your puppy from grabbing and eating harmful things such as cane toads or unknown edible items on the foot path by teaching your puppy to leave it on command. Reward your puppy with a better alternative for leaving the original item. Separation Anxiety : Causes and Signs Separation Anxiety or Separation Distress, is when a dog becomes very distressed when one person or dog leaves their sight. Cases where a dog is distressed when left alone are often referred to as separation anxiety. Causes Habits: It s important that new puppies and dogs learn how to be calm while left alone. If someone has always been around the whole time the new dog or puppy is settling in and then suddenly they are left alone for the first time, they may panic. While taking time off work for a new puppy can be useful, use this time to also teach the puppy gradually longer periods of confinement and alone time. Over excited greetings and departures: If you fuss over your dog as you leave the house and create a big excited event on your return, this creates anxiety and can lead to separation related behaviours. Bad experience when left alone: If your dog is only left in the back yard when you are out and is very lonely, this may create anxiety about the yard. If the dog has a bad experience in the yard while alone this can cause an anxious reponse to being left alone in the yard. For example, while you aren t home a loud machine makes a noise at your next door neighbour s house where renovations are happening. Signs That Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety Excessive vocalisation such as howling, whining and barking when left alone Destructive habits when left alone, often directed at perceived barriers such as the back door

33 Excessive salivation when left alone Panting and shaking when left alone Escaping or escape effort when left alone Self injury or mutilation when left alone Clingy behaviour Pre-departure restlessness Pacing Loss of appetite Not all dogs that show some of these signs necessarily have separation anxiety, in fact this issue is commonly over-diagnosed. For a correct diagnosis, a dog will usually show a cluster of the signs above together although may not show every single one of the signs listed. In the next article we will discuss steps to prevention and treatment of separation anxiety. Separation Anxiety Part 2 Prevention and Treatment Prevention is always easier than cure when it comes to Separation Anxiety (SA), as with so many things. This article is a follow up to our last article on the causes and signs of SA and will cover tips on prevention and treatment. PREVENTION Teach young puppies from an early age to be happy to be left alone by leaving them alone in small sessions and build up the time gradually. Give your puppy alone time while you are home and not only while you go out. This is very important. Avoid over excited departures and arrivals. These can cause anxiety as the departure signals that you are leaving and it is over emotional. It s common to see owners make a huge deal about arriving home, hyping up their dogs who then get very over excited. This causes your arrival home to be the

34 highlight of your dog s day and while they are waiting around for this to happen, anxiety can build. Although it isn t the easiest thing to do, ignoring your dog for 5 to 10 minutes before you leave the house and after you get back home is a very effective method at avoiding anxiety associated with departures and arrivals. TREATMENT As above, reduce over enthusiastic greeting behaviours by ignoring the dog until it is calm. This is often difficult for owners and requires consistency and patience. Reduce the intensity of the owner dog relationship by reducing the amount patting / stroking / cuddling, etc. This can be easier said than done. Relaxation exercises Obedience training to improve communication and to give owners skills that can be used in behaviour modification Environmental enrichment leaving things for the dog to do at home such as chew toys and interactive or food dispensing toys Give the dog a toy or bone on departure. Especially toys which involve chewing and physical interaction. Leave TV or radio on Leave the dog with an item that contains your scent Leave the dog in a place that it feels safe and relaxed such as a room or crate Teach the dog to ignore the pre-departure cues such as shutting up the house, putting on work shoes, grabbing keys etc. Anti anxiety medication prescribed by a Vet. These drugs are reported to make behaviour modification occur 2 3 times faster when used at the same time as a behavioural training program - See Dr Rue Mobile Vet s Article in this issue of Home Helper Natural therapies such as Homeopathy, Bach Flower Essences Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP). This is a plug in diffuser that mimics the pheromones that the female dog gives out shortly after giving birth Quick fixes including leaving the dog with a friend or dog sitter so that someone is always around, or taking the dog to work with you. But of course, not everyone has this option. Some dogs are okay when left with another dog but this doesn t work for every dog and you shouldn t get a second dog only to fix a problem with the first dog. Also, some dogs will learn the unwanted behaviour in the first dog that you are trying to treat and then you will have 2 dogs with the problem. Dogs That Need Space

35 Have you ever been walking your dog and have another person s dog rush up to yours? Perhaps it was a roaming dog, or someone was walking their dog off leash. Perhaps they were running behind their dog calling out, It s okay, my dog s friendly! Or maybe the other dog wasn t friendly at all. What is the correct etiquette on dogs meeting other dogs? The problem is that a lot of dog owners out there don t know how to correctly read their dog s body language and often mistake very rude behaviour for friendliness. But even if your dog is friendly and well trained, does that really mean it is okay to let them rush up to another dog without asking the owner? What if the other dog is not friendly or has anxiety or fear and feels the need to defend itself while trapped on a lead? Who will be responsible if one of the dogs gets bitten, or worse, one of the owners while trying to break up a fight. I felt this article would be a suitable one as I see this happen a lot. I put a post on our Facebook Page asking other dog owners what their feelings were on the matter. Here are some of the responses: I walk on lead areas and still get hassled. I have also coped the mines friendly comment and live the look of horror when I say mines not. I find most people are good but it only takes 1 dodgy dog/owner for it to turn ugly Mel I have two small dogs, one of which is not good with other dogs so I am always careful to walk in leashed areas. I even have a no dogs harness however people never heed that and just let their dogs run right up to us. They then get offended when I suggest they should put their dogs on a lead and that we are in a signed on leash area. It really annoys me as there is an off leashed area only 750 metres from where we walk. Most people say that their dog get more exercise letting them run around and they hate being walked on a leash. I am disabled so it is really hard for me to hold my dog and try to separate him from another dog who is trying to either attack us or even those who do want to play. Connie The problem as far as I can see is owners not being able to interpret dog behaviour. They will assign human emotions or motivations to a set of behaviours not realising till a person or dog gets hurt, that they got it wrong. I've heard people say that they didn't see it coming, when overt dominance behaviour is seen as "only wants to play" Owanna These are only a few samples from the many comments we received which shows that people consider this a significant problem. Some dogs just need more space. They may be sick or injured, or have sore spots that will hurt if knocked around. They may be anxious about other dogs and the owner may be working on this. When this is the case, one incident can be a major setback. Everybody has a right to walk their dogs safely and it is usually the responsible people doing the right thing who get into these situations. It doesn t only happen when dogs are off lead, some people allow their on-lead dogs to approach without asking too.

36 So give other dogs the space they need, ask if you want to let your dog meet theirs and don t be offended if they say no. It may not be your dog they are worried about, but theirs. Use off lead areas responsibly and if you know your dog is aggressive keep it on lead when other any dogs are around. Make sure your dog has a solid recall before letting it off lead. And while we are on the topic of walking dogs please pick up your dog s poo. Remember that by being responsible pet owners we can gain more freedom and acceptance for our dogs. Teaching Your Dog Not To Jump Up Jumping up on people is a very common issue. The reason it is so common is that it is so regularly rewarded, usually without the owner realising that they are rewarding the dog for this behaviour. Many people are trying to punish their dog and are accidentally rewarding the dog instead. When trying to solve a problem behaviour, we need to look at what the dog is getting out of it. There must be something that the dog finds rewarding for the dog to continue displaying the behaviour. When it comes to jumping, the goal of the dog is usually to receive attention and affection. So when you yell at the dog and push it off you, the dog just received both the things it wanted attention and physical contact from you. Every dog is different so whenever we make a plan in my consults to treat a problem behaviour, it is suited to the individual owner and dog. If we don t see results in due course, we make adjustments. A starting point is to take away the perceived reward from the dog. This is often a very effective punishment* to young dogs and puppies. You are taking away the thing they want the most your attention and touch. To do this, as soon as the dog s feet lift off the ground, turn your back to them, cross your arms and look away. Don t even look at or acknowledge the dog until all four feet are on the ground. When the dog is calm and has all his feet on the ground, that is the time to give him what he wants praise, attention and affection. You have now used what he wants as a reward** for a more desirable behaviour. For some dogs, the above method is all you need, especially if you are very consistent with this method from the day you bring your puppy home as it is

37 growing up. For other dogs where the behaviour is more ingrained we may need to look at other solutions. Another great way to teach your dog not to jump up is to teach an alternative greeting behaviour such as a sit. Your dog can t sit and jump up on you at the same time. Each time you greet your dog, tell him to sit before giving him any affection. When the dog is sitting, you can pat and praise him this is what he wants. If he gets up, withdraw the attention until he is sitting again. When it comes to guests, your job to teach your dog not to jump becomes more of a challenge as you need to ask your guests to be consistent with your rules and training method. If they aren t, you will have a dog that won t jump on you, but thinks it is okay to jump on guests only. Having your dog on lead when guests arrive is a helpful way to ensure compliance while in training. Let your guests know what to do before they enter the house and greet your dog. It s also important to avoid over excited greetings when arriving home, as this encourages your dog to jump and can even create anxiety issues. Some people like to invite their dog to jump on them for affection at certain times. This can actually work with you as you can teach you dog a command to jump up and a command to get down. So as you can see from this brief overview, there are many ways to help teach your dog not to jump up. How To Choose A Training Reward Most people I know would not go to work if they weren t getting paid and if they were forced to, their motivation to do a good job would be pretty low. When dogs enjoy training, they learn better and so we use rewards in training. This does not necessarily mean that we are bribing the dog or that the dog will only work for food. If it s done correctly, this won t be a problem. We use rewards for teaching new behaviours and then we phase them out and use only for effort and improvement on those behaviours, constantly setting the bar higher for the dog to earn a reward. So, what is the best reward to use? I cannot tell you one single thing that makes the best reward. This is because it depends on the individual dog and what he or she finds rewarding, at that time.

38 Rewards can be food treats, toys or life rewards such as freedom and access to desired resources. Being let through a doorway or off the leash can be rewards. A game of fetch or tug can be used for a great intense reward if the dog enjoys that kind of game. Think of your dog s highest value reward and use that to reward really important or challenging tasks such as a recall under distraction. One of my dogs, Chester, loves the Frisbee so much that if I give him a meaty bone, wait for him to be getting into it and then say, Frisbee he will spit out the bone and come over looking for the Frisbee! This tells me that a Frisbee is very high on his list of things he likes! I really like to use toy rewards for behaviours that are already established. Tug is an especially great reward because the dog has to be engaged with the handler to get the reward. The tugging will only happen if the handler is on the other end. Before using tug as an obedience reward though, you should have clear rules and a clear grab command and out command (let go). When it comes to food rewards, what works best? Again it depends on what the dog likes but there are some practical considerations too. When training, you want the rewards to be timed well. A large or crunchy, chewy treat is not practical. We want the dog to be able to take it and swallow it fairly fast so that we can move on to the next reward. If you have a large chewy treat and you give it to your dog for a reward, you will then be waiting a while before your dog is finished. If the rewards are too big, your dog will also get full quickly and training will progress slowly. Soft, meaty, smelly treats work best. The dog only needs a small taste each time so use small treats that match the size of the dog. Also make sure you don t use any foods that could make your dog sick. When training with food, you want to have your dog hungry at the beginning, so don t feed a meal just before. If you ve been using food rewards, deduct the amount from the dog s diet so that your dog doesn t put on excess weight. Remember to use something the dog enjoys whether it be food, pats and praise, a ball, tug toy, Frisbee or whatever else your dog loves. Above all, make sure both of you are having fun and you will get the best results! Clicker Training What Is It And What Is It Good For? Clicker training is a fun way to teach your dog obedience commands and tricks or to teach alternatives to problem behaviours. A clicker is a marker sound. You can

39 also use your voice as a marker sound with a marker word such as Yes! or Good! but whatever you choose must be short, sharp and sound the same each time. What is a clicker? A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal tab that you press. Some have a button to press and the metal tab is inside. When you press it, it makes a short, sharp click. This click is then used by the trainer to mark a desired behaviour. How does it work? Your dog needs to learn that the click sound means a treat. To start with, you need to condition your dog to the clicker. This means teaching your dog that every click means he will get a tasty treat. You can repeat click and treat a few times a day until your dog responds to the click by looking at you in expectation of his treat. You can also condition the clicker as you train. Once your dog knows that click=treat, you can use the click as a marker to mark the correct or desired behaviour. For example, when teaching the sit, you would click and treat right as your dog s rear touches the ground. Clicker Vs Verbal Marker You can also use a verbal marker such as saying the word, yes, instead of a clicker to mark behaviours. The advantage of using a clicker is that it sounds the same every time and is very precise. Because it always sounds the same, it is easier for several family members to use it as a marker and have it sound the same each time. A clicker is also easier to coordinate for some people when they are learning their timing. A clicker is also more precise than a spoken word and captures the right moment at just the right time! The advantage of a verbal marker is that you always have it with you. Why do I need a marker as well as a treat? Without a marker, it is harder for the dog to understand exactly what he did correctly. If you just give a treat without a marker, it takes several seconds for the treat to reach the dog and reward him. That may not seem like much, but several behaviours can happen in this timeframe and your dog won t know which one he is being rewarded for. You could even be rewarding him for something you don t want him to do! Pulling Washing Off The Line Pulling washing off the line is a common problem with puppies and adolescent dogs but sometimes older dogs keep doing it too as they have formed a habit. To look at how to stop this unwanted behaviour, let s first look at the possible causes.

40 Boredom the dog has discovered a fun game while alone in the yard with nothing else to do. It s fun and rewarding so he keeps doing it and it quickly becomes a habit Play/chase instinct the washing have moved in the breeze or wind causing the dog to chase and grab, then the dog realised how fun it was and kept going Lack of stimulation the dog has little quality time spent with him and nothing else in the yard to keep him occupied while the owners are away. Attention seeking the dog has learned it is a good way to get the owner s attention Separation related behaviour the dog is finding comfort in the smell of the significant owner on the clothes he pulls off the line. This will usually happen with one particular family member whom the dog is most attached to. In these situations the dog doesn t usually destroy the items but sucks them or sleeps on them. Once you know why the dog is repeating the behaviour, it is easier to find a way to stop it. With any unwanted behaviour, we need to prevent the dog from practicing it otherwise it only becomes more ingrained as a habit. We can then provide alternative behaviours for the dog to practice instead. With bored and under-stimulated dogs, provide appropriate chew items and puzzle toys. Rotate toys to keep up the interest in the toys. Provide more exercise and training to satisfy your dog s mental and physical energy levels. If you suspect separation related behaviour, provide a worn old shirt for the dog and see whether this stops him from pulling down the washing. To punish a behaviour, the dog needs to be caught in the act to understand what the punishment is for. Due to the reasons above, it can be hard to be there when the dog is actually committing the act. Sometimes you can pretend you have left the house, hide and then startle the dog when you see him grabbing the washing. The best ways to startle are a loud noise such as a shaker can of pebbles, yelling, an air horn, banging two pans together etc. right as the dog starts to grab the item. I have seen this method be successful just by surprising a dog and startling him off the washing once only. He never did it again. (I know because it was one of my own dogs) If you can t catch the dog in the act you will need to section off the washing line or contain the dog away from the line while you are not present until the dog gets used to not being able to practice the behaviour. Alternatively you can create booby trap on the line. You can do this by hanging a towel over the line and balancing something like a shaker can of rocks on top that will make a loud noise when it falls when the towel is pulled down. You could also spray Crib Stop or another bad tasting spray onto an old towel and hang it on the line a few times. Don t forget to provide your dog with alternative behaviours and a suitable energy outlet and training.

41 Patting People s Pooches Dogs are so cute and cuddly, who wouldn t want to give them a cuddle? And when you have a new puppy it attracts a lot of attention in public. At first the attention might feel kind of nice, but it can wear off fast too, depending on your personality. When I was growing up every parent seemed to drill into their children that you never pat an unknown dog without first asking the owner. I ve met a couple of families whose children have politely asked for a pat, which is nice. Then some where the children have run up and pat the dog before their parents have noticed what they are doing. But the most surprising thing I have found is the amount of grown adults that rush up and pat or even grab my dog by the face without asking me at all. So is there really any harm in this? There can be, and I m not just talking about the possibility of a dog biting someone. I m not against people patting other people s dogs but here are some reasons to ask first, and on the off chance the owner does say no, respect their answer. 1. The dog is a young puppy learning about people. When puppies are learning about strangers we want their experience to be positive. So isn t patting them a good idea then? If it s done in a way that is positive to the puppy. We all think our pats are positive but when you tower over a tiny pup squealing and patting it on top of the head, this can come across as a threatening gesture. If the puppy is timid, a stranger s well-meaning petting could create a fear of people for life and even lead to aggression. So ask first, then squat down with the side of your body facing the puppy and let the puppy come to you and sniff you first. This is also how you should greet an adult dog once the owner has agreed. 2. The dog is fearful of people. If a dog or puppy is already afraid of people for some reason, they could be set back even further by an inappropriate greeting. The owner may have them out in public to specifically work on this issue, so ask them first. Fear can also lead to bites if the dog feels it can t escape. 3. The dog is in training. The owner could be working on an issue or proofing the dog s training in a new environment. In training I like to reward the dog for focusing on the handler/owner in new environments and ignore all else. People rushing in for a pat can be too much of a distraction and set back the training. 4. The dog is in pain. If a dog is in pain, you don t want to touch it where it is sore and create a bad experience for the dog.

42 I once had a lady come up and grab my 12 week old puppy by the skin on her rear and shove her to the ground while repeatedly saying, sit. The pup was being trained in language other than English and had no idea what was going on. I was also not using this forceful method of training on such a young puppy. Patting is one thing, giving commands is again something you should ask to do first. Usually the owner will ask the dog to sit for a pat. What Is The Right Way For My Dog To Walk? When walking your dog on lead, many people have the issue of their dogs pulling on the lead. When I am helping them they often ask me where the dog should be expected to walk. A lot of people want to expect their dog to walk directly beside them in the heel position the entire time. Most people though are happy as long as their dog isn t pulling them down the street. Some owners are worried that if they let their dog walk in front of them, it means the dog is dominating them. This is not true and in fact dominance is blamed for way more things than it is actually responsible for. Allowing your dog to pull heavily on a collar is not good for the dog and can damage the neck and puling on any type of equipment ie harness or head collar is not ideal either so it is important to teach your dog not to pull through training. Even so, there is nothing wrong with allowing your dog to walk in front of you if the leash is slack and the dog is not weaving back and forth tripping you up. Some people prefer their dogs stay in the heel position for the entire walk. It is important to distinguish between what formal heeling is and what controlled walking is. Formal heeling involves the dog s shoulders being in line with the owner s left leg (still the traditional side for obedience competitions) and the dog looking up at the owner s face offering focus the entire time. While this is a great focus and control exercise to teach any dog, it is not practical to expect your dog to walk like this for an entire walk. Plus the whole point of a walk is for the dog to sniff and explore, being able to take in the environment through scent and sight. Controlled walking involves your dog at your side walking politely on a loose leash able to look around and sniff, or just in front of you but not pulling. This is how most dog owners would like their dogs to walk.

43 Sniffing on the walk is important as the dog takes in so much information which they process mentally and it helps to make them tired. So it is important to allow your dog to sniff and explore on the walk. However, this doesn t mean you should follow your dog wherever he wants to go because he is following a scent. Allow the dog to sniff and look around as long as the lead is slack. If you would like to allow your dog to have a sniff or a toilet break at a suitable area, you choose the spot and make the decision to stop. You could use a cue for this such as go sniff, and then use the cue, walk, or let s go, to continue walking in a controlled manner. You could also have different commands for different walks if you wanted to get technical, such as a controlled walk by your side, a formal heel and a free walk in front of you as long as there is no pulling. This is what I do with my own dogs. As long as your dog is not pulling you around, the way you walk is up to you! Dog Reactivity on Walks It s one of the most common behaviour problems that I get called about: dogs that are reactive towards other dogs, especially on walks. What do I mean by reactive? The dog s reaction to seeing other dogs is to the point where they are stressing themselves and / or their owner with their behaviour. Dogs can be reactive from fear, over-excitement or because they are being territorial. They can display their reactivity by barking, growling, lunging and even screaming and twisting around at the end of the leash. The distance that a dog needs to be from another dog to show this reaction depends on the individual dog. Some dogs can t get within 100 meters of another dog without going off. Others need to be within a few feet. If you own a dog-reactive dog, it can be upsetting and frustrating. While I can t solve the problem in a written article and would need to see the dog as every dog is different, this article is designed to give you some tips to manage the problem. Note: managing an issue and training the dog out of it altogether are two different things. Two important things you need to work on first are focus and loose leash walking. Teach your dog that focusing on you in any environment will be rewarding. I do this using marker training as it is a very effective method to communicate to the dog when they have done the right thing. Stopping your dog from pulling on lead is also important because tension on the lead inflames any existing tension which in turn builds up and quickly leads to an outburst. You can work on your leash walking and focus together. Master these exercises first. Start in your backyard, then your front yard, your street, then gradually introduce more distracting environments.

44 Set your dog up for success by avoiding any situations that you can t handle. Keep your dog on leash in public and at a safe distance from other dogs so that you can control the dog. Learn to read dog body language. It is important to know what to look for in your own dog and in any dogs that may approach. You need to have an understanding of canine body language to know when to correct and when to reward. If you find yourself getting into a situation you are uncomfortable with, turn back the other way and get out of there. Every bad experience you and your dog has with other dogs will set back any training you are working on. Now the most important part of all be confident and calm. If you are nervous and apprehensive, your dog will pick up on it and think, there really is a problem here and my leader isn t confident enough to handle it, that just leaves it up to me. Keep your lead loose, don t nervously try to calm your dog down with words or praise. Be quiet, calm and confident. This itself has a dramatic effect on how your dog responds. Finally, get in a trainer to help you train your dog out of this habit. Training With Food Rewards Do I train with food? Yes I do. However, that doesn t mean that it s the only training method I know and use, or that it s the only way to train any dog. There is also nothing wrong with using food rewards in dog training if it s done correctly. I ve come across some people that have a real issue with using food in training and to them I say, that s ok you don t have to use it. However I have found that most people that write off food in training altogether to have either seen it used incorrectly as a bribe or not phased out of the training, have stuck to a different method they have used for years and are not ready to try something new, and/or don t truly understand how food reward training is supposed to work. There are many different methods out there to train a dog. When searching the internet, most advice conflicts with another person s advice and the readers and their dogs often end up confused. Although there are a lot of different methods, there are basically two ways that you can train a dog to do something: 1. Teach the dog to work to avoid something unpleasant to that dog or; 2. Teach the dog to work to gain something pleasant to that dog Both methods will teach a dog to obey but they each have different side effects. A dog working to avoid something is often flat while working. A dog working to gain something is more likely to be happy and enjoying the training. Would you be happier

45 working for no pay or being paid? Nobody works for nothing even volunteers have something in it for them, even if it s just the satisfaction of enjoying the work they do. Dogs learn by association if I do this, what will the consequence be? Will it be good or bad? A dog won t naturally be willing to please you just for the sake of pleasing you there is always something in it for them whether friendly praise or a pat, or to avoid a reprimand. A reward is what that particular dog desires the most at that particular moment in time. So that may be a certain type of food reward, affection and praise, a favourite toy, a game of fetch or tug, or just to be let off the lead for some free run time. If someone is happy to reward their dog with a pat and praise but not use food reward I see it as a contradiction as both are being used as a reward. However, if you use a higher value reward, you ll get a better result. Food rewards should be used to teach new behaviours*, then phased out and used randomly for the dog s best efforts to keep up performance. Once the behaviour is taught, you won t need food to get the dog to perform if you have phased it out correctly. So the point is: don t feel that certain rewards should never be used use what gets the best results for you and your dog so that you can both enjoy the training. *When fixing existing behaviour problems, we need to use other methods but this article is focusing on teaching behaviours, not extinguishing behaviours. 10 Common Dog Myths Busted MYTH: You can t teach an old dog new tricks FACT: Dogs of any age can be taught new things. As a dog gets older, if it has had no training at all in the past, it will take longer to get the desired result than with a dog that has been learning since puppyhood, but with a little more patience, an older dog can still learn how to learn. MYTH: Playing tug with your dog will cause aggression FACT: Playing tug is a great game especially to use as a reward. A dog may growl when playing but in this situation it is not a sign of aggression. Make sure your dog has a grab and a let go command for playing tug and you re good to go. Structured tug games and play increase the bond between you and your dog. MYTH: A female dog should have one litter of puppies before being desexed

46 FACT: There is no advantage to having a litter of puppies before being desexed. Breeding can go wrong if you don t know what you re doing and there are many homeless dogs in the world and our local area as it is. Best leave breeding to the experts. MYTH: Mutts are always healthier than purebred dogs FACT: A quote from Vet, Dr Libbye Miller: "Adorable mixed breeds" get cancer, epilepsy, allergies, heart disease, and orthopaedic problems just like purebreds. I see it every day in my veterinary practice but mixed breed dogs aren't tracked like the purebreds so they have a reputation as "healthier" that is actually undeserved in many cases." Whether purebred or not, each parent needs to be healthy to produce healthy offspring. By testing for known genetic conditions breeders can reduce the risk and work to eliminate the diseases. MYTH: A wagging tail means a dog is happy to see you FACT: A wagging tail means the dog is aroused in some way. Including a dog that is about to chase and bite you. MYTH: Only male dogs hump and cock their legs FACT: Many female dogs also hump and even cock their legs to mark territory. MYTH: Feeding a dog raw meat will make them hungry for blood and a risk to children and livestock FACT: Unless a dog catches and eats the prey with fur or feathers still intact, the dog doesn t make the association between a live creature and the taste of meat. Further, a dead chicken carcass smells entirely different to a live chicken so feeding a dog chicken carcasses will have no effect on whether a dog will want to chase and kill chooks. MYTH: Dogs eat grass when they are feeling sick to make themselves vomit FACT: Dogs eat grass for fibre and as a natural part of their diet. Wild dogs also eat the vegetable stomach contents of omnivorous prey. MYTH: Dogs feel guilt and know when they have done something wrong FACT: Your dog is an expert on human body language, and on making associations to learn. If you have been angry at the dog once in the past, he won t forget all the signs. Next time he sees you angry or in the same situation he will offer you appeasement signals, commonly mistaken for guilt. MYTH: Dogs see in black and white

47 FACT: Dogs see a range of colours but the range is not as extensive as ours. While human eyes have three 'cones' that detect colour and can identify red, blue, green and yellow light; dogs only have two. This means dogs can distinguish blue and yellow, but not red and green. So a red ball on a green lawn may be hard for your dog to see, but a dog s primary sense, their amazing sense of smell, more than makes up for that. Dog Training: Will It Dull My Dog s Personality? Oh she doesn t need training, she s a good dog. I would train him, but he is so full of personality, I don t want to squash that. I don t train my dog because I want to just let her be a dog and have fun! I don t want my dog to be a robot These are some things that trainers have heard as reasons why people don t want to train their dogs. Is there any reason to be worried about training your dog and the effect it might have on the dog s personality or attitude? Let s have a look at where these ideas where have come from: In the old days, there was not a lot of variety between dog training clubs. Everyone used one method for every dog. This method was usually quite forceful and not much fun for anyone involved. The dogs were given commands over and over and given harsh corrections if they didn t comply. While this most often got results, a lot of dogs would hate training, giving them a very dull attitude and no expression (many of the handlers looked the same too, very serious and not having much fun). So the dogs were obedient but they were like robots, responding to commands but with no enthusiasm. Now, dog training has evolved, at least for most. While there are still some trainers or training clubs that are stuck in their ways and will not change, educated trainers now know that there are many ways to train a dog and that every dog is different. What works for one dog may not be the best approach for another dog. Rather than having one method, we can use a combination of methods to train a dog to perform both reliably and happily. Dog and owner can both enjoy the training and have fun. In my classes, I find I am often telling the owners to be more enthusiastic and have fun with their dogs. Training is important for every dog and it has many benefits, as we have discussed in other articles. Briefly the benefits include: increased compliance to the owner,

48 smarter, happier dogs, safer dogs, more pleasant time with the dog, and as a result of this, the dog is able to go out to more places and spend more time with the family. No one should want their dog to be flat and robotic. But most people want their dog to be obedient. So the key is to find a trainer that is qualified and up to date with the latest in dog training. Find a trainer that wants you and your dog to learn and have fun while doing it. Useful Dog Tricks: How To Teach Your Dog To Touch Trick training might seem like it s just for fun but it can actually be really beneficial to teach a dog tricks. For example, it can provide mental stimulation and make your dog more tired than a walk. This is handy for rainy days. It can also make your dog smarter, making future training easier. Service dogs are basically doing complex tricks so you can also use trick training to teach your dog to help you around the house. Best of all, trick training is fun for both the dog and the owner because it is all rewards based training. These instructions will show you how to teach your dog to touch your hand on command with his nose. This is a nice easy trick that can be used to train lots of other tasks and tricks to your dog. It s also a nice easy introduction to marker training if you or your dog haven t done it before. Marker training is the use of a word or sound to mark the moment your dog does a desired behaviour and it is followed by a reward. Step 1: Hold out the palm of your hand flat in front of the dog Step 2: Wait until the dog sniffs your hand. Some dogs will touch it straight away and some will just sniff it. The moment your dog sniffs or touches your hand, say, yes, and give a yummy treat from your other hand. Give lots of praise! Step 3: Repeat steps 1 & 2 a few times with your hand in different positions. Step 4: When you know your dog is going to touch your hand when you put it in front of him, say, touch, just as you show your dog your hand. When he touches it, say, yes and give him a treat. This will teach the dog what the command, touch, means.

49 Step 5: Now you can start to make it harder by moving your hand above the dogs nose and by getting your dog to follow your hand while you move it around. You can also start to skip treats every now and then so that the dog doesn t need a treat every time. Useful Skills That Can be Taught Using the Touch Command: Teach your dog to turn out the light by touching your hand over the light switch then fading out your hand Teach your dog to heel by following your hand next to you Teach your dog to close doors and cupboards by touching the open door and pushing it shut Use touch to get your dog to get off furniture or into the car Helpful for obedience and agility training How Important Is Puppy School? Puppy-hood is a critically important time to get your puppy off to the best start possible, so of course puppy school is important. But not all puppy schools are created equal so it is critically important to choose the right puppy school. In some cases, puppy schools can actually do more harm than good if things are not done appropriately in and these cases it would be better that the puppy not attend at all rather than risk having damage done that can be very hard to fix later in life. When looking for a puppy school, you are looking to entrust the trainer with the most important and sensitive period of your puppy s life. So don t just ring around for the cheapest price. There are some points to look for. Is the puppy school run by a qualified trainer who has behavioural training and experience, especially with puppies? What sort of socialisation will be carried out? What training topics will be covered? Socialisation is the most important aspect of taking your puppy to puppy school. But what is socialisation? Many people, even those running puppy schools see socialisation as puppies mingling and playing with other puppies and dogs. But socialisation means so much more than that and there are good ways and not so good ways to carry it out. The goal of socialisation is to habituate a puppy to various different environments, sounds, smells, surfaces, people, animals, machinery and objects so that the puppy can be comfortable around these things in everyday life.

50 We only have a short window of time to get a lot of this socialisation done while the puppy is in its critical period of development, in which time learning is permanent. We don t however want a dog that has too high a positive value for other dogs, people or novel things. This is why in our puppy schools and dog classes we train puppies and dogs to be okay with novel things and other people and dogs but to have the highest value for the owner. This allows you to produce a dog that can focus on the owner around distractions such as other dogs. If a puppy school allows all the puppies to run around off lead in a free-for-all this can do more harm than good. I see many dogs that are over-excited, fearful or aggressive towards other dogs due to experiences such as this in their puppy-hood. When it comes to obedience training and good manners, starting early is very beneficial. You can teach your puppy how to learn, which makes them able to learn faster in the future and understand your communication system that you set up with them. So obedience training is also an important part of having a puppy. Often when someone is asked if their dog has had any training they reply by saying, He went to puppy pre-school. Sadly some people think that that is all the training their dog should need and then they stop. Both socialisation and obedience can be set up to have a great start if you choose a good puppy school. But it is important that both also continue throughout the dog s life. Digging and Chewing Most dogs enjoy digging holes and chewing on things. Because they enjoy it, the habit can stick fast once they start. I get a lot of calls and s from people who want to know how to stop their dog from digging or chewing. I can give them some tips such as fill the holes with fresh dog poo from your yard and spray a taste deterrent spray on chewed items but these are often only temporary fixes. What we