For the purposes of this blog, we are referring to all Bully Breeds as "Pit Bull" just so we are not listing off several types of dog every time we wish to mention it.
WARNING this blog is not for the sensitive!
Today, all over the news, there was a story of a 17 year old Saanich Pit Bull cross that bit a 16 day old baby, and many things are occurring on social media - and as a responsible, caring trainer, and a personal lover of these specific breeds, we felt the need to go on record with our expert advice on the matter, and confront the incorrect and dangerously inaccurate statements.
1) Pit Bulls can lock their jaws.
No, they can't - but they're in the top three of jaw strength, meaning you can't just pry them open unless the dog allows you to. They have absolutely no locking mechanism in their jaws.
2) The dog in question was jealous.
Dogs don't suffer from jealousy like you or I do. They do not possess the mental process to go, "Hey; that baby is stealing my people's time from me, so I am going to go over there and try and kill their new puppy". They don't even have that type of thinking format. They can have associations however, such as the baby represents a change in rules, and they dislike that change, so they wish to put the rules back the way they were before, and so they follow pack dynamics and assert their dominance in order to try and repair the changed rules. They also can simply assert pack dynamics without the association with rule change; any new puppy brought into a pack must be determined as dominant, or submissive -- and given the chance, -any- dog will attempt to teach the new human puppy that they are the bigger dog and therefore has more rank than them. It is 100% up to the owners to make sure the dog understands the baby is not something to be claimed or dominated.
3) The dog in question was a Pit Bull, so they should have expected this.
The breed has nothing to do with the deed. All dogs are capable of this act, and as a matter of fact, the Pit Bull is one the lowest on the list of potential breeds to attack. Breeds that are more aggressive on average than a Pit Bull might surprise you; Chihuahuas, Golden Retrievers, Dalmatians, Boxers, Akitas, Shepherds, Huskies; this list goes on. The breed commonly referred to as the Pit Bull actually has no generic strain of aggression bred into them whatsover, unlike dogs like the German Shepherd or Akita. Associating a specific breed to a behavioural problem is inaccurate, and unfair to the breed; after all, you wouldn't blame an ethnicity on a specific type of crime. All races are capable of all crime, and dogs are no different.
4) This Pit Bull is vicious, so it should be put down.
A Pit Bull that bites a human unprovoked is not always "vicious". This could very well have been its first ever abnormal reaction. In fact, it is incredibly rare for a dog to be so aggressive that it actually lays teeth on a human. At least 80% of the time, dogs posture and fake out; they very rarely strike, and they have to feel directly threatened unless they are specifically trained to attack, such as protection dogs, or police canines. 99% of family pets do not reach this level of instability, and if they do, it is very unlikely that the owner of said dog would allow their baby anywhere near the dog in question. In this instance, it is my professional opinion that this dog was merely enforcing pack hierarchy. If this dog wanted to kill the baby, it would have, and it would have done it in half a second. If it wanted to correct the baby, or enforce pack dynamics, it would have been a quick nip or two - but with the power of the Pit Bull jaw, combined with the especially sensitive and soft skin of a newborn, the damage becomes bad, fast. Because the baby is in stable condition and the damage was not life threatening and on the face. This damage directly correlates with a corrective or dominance warning nip. Dogs that are seeking to kill something do not attack the face; with small animals, like a rabbit, they grab center of mass, and shake. This dog was not vicious; it was dominant. It was also seventeen; even dogs suffer from a deteriorating mind, and it is highly possible the dog was suffering from dementia, or Alzheimer's.
5) Pit Bulls were bred to attack, and have unstable blood lines.
The American
Pit Bull Terrier originally appeared as a cross breed between the Old
English Terrier, and the Old English Bulldog, first making their
appearance as the "Old Family Terrier", in the mid 19th century. They
were widely used as nannies and farm dogs, rehabilitation animals,
seeing eye dogs, service dogs, and as a guardian for both children and
farmyard livestock. Pit Bulls were excellent in this capacity; they were
widely known as the sweetheart of the farmyard life.
Despite
media dramatization, careful wording, and obvious breed racism, the CKC
and AKC describe the Pit Bull as intelligent, patience, enthusiastic,
athletic, high please drive, and extremely gentle - especially with
children and strangers. They seem to know exactly how powerful their
jaws are, and while they do not actually lock (despite popular belief),
Pit Bulls are very gentle with their mouths, and have natural bite
inhibition. Pit Bulls are very sensitive to the wants and needs of the
owner, and know inherently that humans have sensitive skin.
Pit
Bulls are naturally inquisitive, and compliant. Because of this, the
Pit Bull try very hard to accommodate the expectations of the owner,
even if that means going against their very nature.
After a
while, some unsavory folks noticed the Pit Bull's ability to adapt, and
it's naturally gentle nature - and trained them to either attack and
kill a bull or bear for sport, or become bait animals to train more
aggressive breeds. Pit bulls were not properly suited to become ring
dogs, but they did well in training other dogs, and it often cost them
their lives, because young Pit Bulls would not fight back. The dogs that
fought Bulls did so generally because of being raised to do so at a
young age, and while they mostly did not want to fight, they did to
please their humans - and they did a good job at it. Thus, the name "Pit
Bull Fighter" was coined, and today, we know them simply as Pit Bulls.
Despite this, it is unnatural and abnormal for the Pit Bull to have a
shred of aggression in them - but the same adaptive, pleasing nature
causes them to become exactly what their owners want - and more often
than not, humans make them aggressive because they are either unaware of
dog psychology, or think a Pit Bull should be aggressive, and teach
them to be this way.
Breeding effects behaviour, but only on a very low level. Puppies are blank slates when they go to their forever homes, and these behaviors are either solved, or encouraged. 100% of "aggressive" Pit Bulls were not born dangerous; they were made to be that way.
6) Pit Bulls are unpredictable and just "snap".
Partially already addressed, the Pit Bull is not so unpredictable. I've spent enough time with them and near them to understand that they are perhaps the most predictable breed there is. They are very sensitive to energy and training, and most owners don't honestly realize when they are allowing a dog to believe it is in control, which produces these so-called "unpredictable" Pit Bulls. Show me a home with one of these, and I will show you a home that has simply missed a few things. Every little thing effects a Pit Bull; toys, feeding, walks, play time, rules, and how it is all handled and employed. Things that seem innocent like allowing cosleeping, or up onto the couch; feeding a treat when they bark at you (unless you're teaching "speak"), or even letting them outside when they bark at you. These little things are all ingredients to encouraging confused pack dynamics. A dog in control can and will listen to the human when the human has something they want - but won't when they're in an excited or hyper state of mind. Dogs like this often obey flawlessly for treats, but won't when there's something more interesting. This often leads to the assumption that the dog is just "dumb", or that that may be deaf, or even that they're just too excited to listen, when in fact they're simply dominant. Aggression and dominance is not always hand in hand. It can be as simple as willful disobedience. Pit Bulls are just way more sensitive to these ques than other dogs, and rarely become aggressive - but they can and do become DEFENSIVE. Something that may seem innocent to you can be perceived as a threat to a Pit Bull, and they will protect themselves and their humans. In this case, it is highly possible this dog thought the baby was in fact a threat - something a simple as a shrill scream, a squeak, or a fast moving arm can trigger a defensive animal, and this would suggest that this family pet had missed a few critical training steps; especially with the age of the dog, and the increased likelihood of disorders such as dementia.
7) Pit Bulls can't feel pain
Pinch yourself. Did you feel something? Then you obviously feel pain. Pit Bulls are no different. Everything that is alive feels pain - even plants. They also scream out in pain, and are alive when they are picked and eaten. Read more: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/plants-feel-pain.htm
All dogs possess the ability to feel pain - even Pit Bulls. What they do have is an incredibly high please drive - that's the part of the dog that makes them want to satisfy their pack leader. When they themselves are the pack leader, they seek so much to please themselves that they ignore pain. These dogs love their humans so much that they will ignore pain to do what is asked of them. They love humans so much, they would endure excruciating pain and totally ignore it and drive through it. This does not just apply to trained Pit Bulls; this affects the entire multitude of bully breeds. Isn't that awe-inspiring? This is what created the rumor - Pit Bulls that broke their very nature to kill a bull, and ignored the pain of the fight because they loved their masters THAT MUCH. If that doesn't make you the least bit sad or feel pity, I don't know what will.
Remember guys, dogs are only capable of what we as humans teach them!
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Is your dog listening, obeying, complying, or manipulating you? Or is your dog just plain ignoring you? Blog Fourteen
Hello everyone! Today's blog is all about obedience - or is it obedience? We will be talking all about how to identify how your dog might be listening - and what it means for your relationship!
When dogs are given a command they know very well, they make a choice. Within a split second, they identify the word you said, apply it to their active situation, calculate what exactly you want, how it should be done, and decide whether or not they're going to do it - all of which is dependent on how you taught the word, if they have been given that word in this situation, whether or not they trust you, respect you, or understand you, and how you said the word. It seems all very complicated, and to the dog, it is. Dogs are exact - a certain tone will mean "If you like", where another will mean business, and another will mean "my human is unstable, ignore, or confront this." But, depending on how they react, it communicates something completely different.
Listening
For the sake of this blog, we are just going to call this listening - in the long winded sense, we are referring to obedience because they want to please you. When a dog is truly listening, they will look at you like the whole world has vanished away. They will be happy, relaxed, quiet, and often will perform the behaviour before you get the whole command from your mouth, and it doesn't matter if you have a reward - they're doing it because they love you. Everyone likes to think their dog is in this category; unless your dog resembles Michael Ellis and his dog Pi (seen below), all the time, your dog is not an active listener type. Looking at your dog through rose-colored glasses, whether you are a life-long owner, active professional trainer, or a first time owner, will not do your dog any favors. If your dog looks like this all the time, congratulations, your dog is well trained!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qaodSBuSIM
Obeying
Obedience itself is a lofty goal for some owners - but this trait is marked by a dog performing a behaviour after a few seconds, either because they know they have no actual choice, or because they know the outcome will be worse if they don't. Either way, it is not happening out of respect, but it is happening in a way that is not harming your relationship - but it won't build it, either. A dog that is simply obeying is usually lazy-looking, slow to respond, or takes a few moments to complete it. Sometimes you may need to repeat yourself, or make sure they're paying attention. You can refine obedience into a listening skill by making it more exciting to listen.
Complying
When a dog is doing as you ask out of compliance, these are dogs that won't listen if you don't have a toy, treat, or specific tool, like a special collar you train them in, or a certain place in the community. Compliance occurs when a dog doesn't care about listening, they just want what you have enough to indignify themselves to obey. A dog that is complying is tense, anxious, or an unhealthy kind of excited, often whines or barks, as if to usher on their reward. These dogs won't look you in the eye, or if they do, it's because they think it will get them their treat, and often break eye contact once they realize it isn't working. When there isn't the reward or tool present, they might take being told 6 or 7 times before listening - and its time you contact a trainer for help. A dog that is complying won't listen when it really matters - like in a fight, in a self-rewarding behaviour, or if they are running across a street. Compliance is not obedience, and it signifies that your dog thinks they are in control of YOU. There is likely a damaged relationship, or a relationship that isn't build yet. This doesn't mean you've done something wrong; it just means you need to change up what you're doing.
Manipulating
When a dog believes without a shadow of a doubt that they control their humans, they will manipulate you to get what they want - such as repeated barking, begging, or nipping. Dogs that use unwanted behaviours, seemingly to get a response from you, is doing so to either gain something, or stop something. For instance, a manipulating dog might nip at you or your heels if you get too close to their toys or food; they might charge at the front door and bark, even if you tell them no; they might bark repeatedly at you to get you to appear in front of them; they might ignore you when you give then a command, or halfway do it, and look away; they might only perform for you very rarely when they believe there is something beneficial for them in it, or, they might perform the wrong behaviour on purpose to assert their dominance. In any case, your dog needs a trainer intervention before they hurt themselves, or someone else.
Just Plain Ignoring You
If you can shout, scream, do jumping jacks, bribe, or otherwise try anything to get your dog to listen and they won't, either they don't know what you want, or they're just ignoring you. Classic ignoring behaviour happens when a human is not consistent, doesn't follow through, or doesn't expect anything of their pets. A dog that ignores might look away, pretend you're not there; they might just look at you, pretending they didn't hear you, or look at you with that dumb face expression, and you might buy it or are too busy to follow through. For instance, take a family that does not allow the dog in the dining room might tell the dog "Out", and stop paying attention once the dog looks like it's walking away, but the dog darts under the table and starts hoovering the food, or when you tell them to sit, they walk away and flop over. This is indicative of a dog that knows exactly what is expected, but either doesn't care what you want, or knows the command is optional. An ignoring dog will often keep the behaviour going, such as nuisance barking, licking themselves when told to stop, running around the home, or otherwise doing as they please; they will play dumb, or not complete a behaviour. If this is happening, something between your communication and the dog's reception of it has gone wrong, and basic training needs to reboot - as if they are an 8 week old puppy. Back to basics, and it's time to call the trainer.
Warning Signs
When none of these match, there are a few situations where the issue may not be behavioural. If your dog doesn't respond to you at all, if they appear listless, unresponsive, drooling more than normal, glassy eyed, or is very hot to the touch behind the ears in the folds of the neck, take them to a pet emergency immediately.
If your dog is about to bite, they will get quiet, and low. They will not be growling, or circling. If your dog is about to bite, stop what you are doing immediately, and if you can, move to safety and call a trainer immediately.
Hope everyone has a great week!
When dogs are given a command they know very well, they make a choice. Within a split second, they identify the word you said, apply it to their active situation, calculate what exactly you want, how it should be done, and decide whether or not they're going to do it - all of which is dependent on how you taught the word, if they have been given that word in this situation, whether or not they trust you, respect you, or understand you, and how you said the word. It seems all very complicated, and to the dog, it is. Dogs are exact - a certain tone will mean "If you like", where another will mean business, and another will mean "my human is unstable, ignore, or confront this." But, depending on how they react, it communicates something completely different.
Listening
For the sake of this blog, we are just going to call this listening - in the long winded sense, we are referring to obedience because they want to please you. When a dog is truly listening, they will look at you like the whole world has vanished away. They will be happy, relaxed, quiet, and often will perform the behaviour before you get the whole command from your mouth, and it doesn't matter if you have a reward - they're doing it because they love you. Everyone likes to think their dog is in this category; unless your dog resembles Michael Ellis and his dog Pi (seen below), all the time, your dog is not an active listener type. Looking at your dog through rose-colored glasses, whether you are a life-long owner, active professional trainer, or a first time owner, will not do your dog any favors. If your dog looks like this all the time, congratulations, your dog is well trained!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qaodSBuSIM
Obeying
Obedience itself is a lofty goal for some owners - but this trait is marked by a dog performing a behaviour after a few seconds, either because they know they have no actual choice, or because they know the outcome will be worse if they don't. Either way, it is not happening out of respect, but it is happening in a way that is not harming your relationship - but it won't build it, either. A dog that is simply obeying is usually lazy-looking, slow to respond, or takes a few moments to complete it. Sometimes you may need to repeat yourself, or make sure they're paying attention. You can refine obedience into a listening skill by making it more exciting to listen.
Complying
When a dog is doing as you ask out of compliance, these are dogs that won't listen if you don't have a toy, treat, or specific tool, like a special collar you train them in, or a certain place in the community. Compliance occurs when a dog doesn't care about listening, they just want what you have enough to indignify themselves to obey. A dog that is complying is tense, anxious, or an unhealthy kind of excited, often whines or barks, as if to usher on their reward. These dogs won't look you in the eye, or if they do, it's because they think it will get them their treat, and often break eye contact once they realize it isn't working. When there isn't the reward or tool present, they might take being told 6 or 7 times before listening - and its time you contact a trainer for help. A dog that is complying won't listen when it really matters - like in a fight, in a self-rewarding behaviour, or if they are running across a street. Compliance is not obedience, and it signifies that your dog thinks they are in control of YOU. There is likely a damaged relationship, or a relationship that isn't build yet. This doesn't mean you've done something wrong; it just means you need to change up what you're doing.
Manipulating
When a dog believes without a shadow of a doubt that they control their humans, they will manipulate you to get what they want - such as repeated barking, begging, or nipping. Dogs that use unwanted behaviours, seemingly to get a response from you, is doing so to either gain something, or stop something. For instance, a manipulating dog might nip at you or your heels if you get too close to their toys or food; they might charge at the front door and bark, even if you tell them no; they might bark repeatedly at you to get you to appear in front of them; they might ignore you when you give then a command, or halfway do it, and look away; they might only perform for you very rarely when they believe there is something beneficial for them in it, or, they might perform the wrong behaviour on purpose to assert their dominance. In any case, your dog needs a trainer intervention before they hurt themselves, or someone else.
Just Plain Ignoring You
If you can shout, scream, do jumping jacks, bribe, or otherwise try anything to get your dog to listen and they won't, either they don't know what you want, or they're just ignoring you. Classic ignoring behaviour happens when a human is not consistent, doesn't follow through, or doesn't expect anything of their pets. A dog that ignores might look away, pretend you're not there; they might just look at you, pretending they didn't hear you, or look at you with that dumb face expression, and you might buy it or are too busy to follow through. For instance, take a family that does not allow the dog in the dining room might tell the dog "Out", and stop paying attention once the dog looks like it's walking away, but the dog darts under the table and starts hoovering the food, or when you tell them to sit, they walk away and flop over. This is indicative of a dog that knows exactly what is expected, but either doesn't care what you want, or knows the command is optional. An ignoring dog will often keep the behaviour going, such as nuisance barking, licking themselves when told to stop, running around the home, or otherwise doing as they please; they will play dumb, or not complete a behaviour. If this is happening, something between your communication and the dog's reception of it has gone wrong, and basic training needs to reboot - as if they are an 8 week old puppy. Back to basics, and it's time to call the trainer.
Warning Signs
When none of these match, there are a few situations where the issue may not be behavioural. If your dog doesn't respond to you at all, if they appear listless, unresponsive, drooling more than normal, glassy eyed, or is very hot to the touch behind the ears in the folds of the neck, take them to a pet emergency immediately.
If your dog is about to bite, they will get quiet, and low. They will not be growling, or circling. If your dog is about to bite, stop what you are doing immediately, and if you can, move to safety and call a trainer immediately.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Lazy Sunday Ways to Exhaust Your Dog - Blog Thirteen
Some days, we just don't want to get off the couch. Maybe the weather is lousy; maybe you're sick, or injured, or maybe you just simply can't be bothered to get out of your pjs. Whatever the reason, when you have a dog, no exercise is not an option. They suffer as badly from lack of exercise as humans do from not eating all day. There are several mental, physical, and spiritual costs to an under exercised dog. So, on days like these, how is one supposed to exercise a dog?
1) Teach them a brand new trick from scratch.
If you spend an hour or so every few hours in the day teaching your dog a brand new trick, they have to burn several times more mental energy than physical - and by the time the day is over, they will be drained as if you'd been on a walk. This serves dual purpose, as mental energy is harder to burn, and also burns physical energy. Stuck on new tricks? You can refine fetch to make it flawless (see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccw1uwvbx00 ) or you could attempt to teach roll over (see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCOvAf_-Xz8 ) or even tricks like target and build into things like shutting on or off your lights, opening or closing doors, bringing you objects like the newspaper or your slippers, or even simple tricks like shake a paw or speak. Spend a day teaching these, and your dog will be tired! While this doesn't burn traveling needs, it will handle mental and physical energy. Traveling needs can be held off until the next day.
2) Utilizing a treadmill
Some families have a treadmill, but rarely do they realize they can use it for a dog. Some dogs need more coaxing than others, and some take to it like a duck to water! If your dog seems afraid of the treadmill, start it very slow, keep them on a short lead, and use lots of positive, happy energy and praise every time they move along without trying to jump off. Once they understand what they are expected to do, they will love it. Dogs don't naturally understand treadmills, which is why some of them are averse to traveling on it. The one downside to treadmills is they do not burn mental energy or traveling energy. Just physical. So, you may also need to spend some time playing with or training your dog, but they will tire out pretty quick.
3) No treadmill? Use some outdoor furniture!
If all you have is a pair of plastic outdoor chairs, a lawn couch, or other such items, you can use those, too! Put them on their backs, and use it as an obstacle course. You only need to move so far as to show them what it is, what to do, and how to play, and engage your dog a little. This is good for days when you just don't want to leave the home. You can put the jumps on command if you like, and after a couple practice runs, your dog will be leaping over chairs like it's nothing! If they have an aversion to jumping or they're too small to clear your furniture, you can train them to go under instead. Just make sure to enforce no jumping inside the home - they can break something, hurt someone, or injure themselves.
4) Search!
Train your dog to root out smells - treats, chicken stock on a piece of cardboard, a dirty sock - anything. Start small, and make them use their nose to find something a little harder to find - like on a coffee table, or on a footstool. When they can see you put it down, watch to see if they are smelling it out (because its out of their sight line) and if they are, when they find it, call out "Good, search!" after a while, they will associate "search" with locating the smell, and then you can work on larger distances. Eventually, your dog will be able to find the smell anywhere in your home once you tell them "search!" This will also burn all three energy types, and help satisfy hunting or prey drive. For dogs that just aren't interested in searching, the reward of finding the item is not enough - you will need to train them first to smell the item and get a reward such as a treat, or a brief moment with a favorite toy. Once they are smelling items on command, you can build that into search by making them move towards the item then smelling it, and then work on putting it out of the site line. The goal is the same, but the means of getting there is a little more exhaustive. Any dog can learn search!
5) Use the opportunity to re-associate behaviours.
Lets say your dog is terrified of the bathroom, because someone approached the bath the wrong way and simply wrangled the dog in to the tub and hosed them off - or however else it happened. But now, your dog is scared of the tub, and it's a fight to get them in. Take this time to re-associate the bathroom! Instead of fighting to get them in the room, take their favorite treat or toy and lure them in. If they snatch-and-run, don't be discouraged - they still entered the bathroom! You can work on getting them to stay longer, but if they are showing signs of being overwhelmed, end the session on a good note and try again in an hour. If you are persistent, you can have your dog laying in the bathtub, chewing on their toy, with no sign of stress! This will burn mental and physical energy. Remember, you are not actually bathing them. There should be no water in the tub to start with.
6) Back yard fetch
If your dog already knows fetch reliably enough to bring it back to you, let them run into the bad weather. Dogs don't care about wind or rain (and if they do, they have learned that from a human reacting poorly to the weather, and you should spend some time re-associating this behaviour), and they love running. Put a towel by your back door for their mucky paws if you like, and throw the ball out the door. If they know to return with the ball (which makes fetch officially fetch, and not just run for the ball), then you could spend time burning that energy with fetch! If this doesn't typically burn out your dog, put a few obstacles in the way, like a small chair or a few distraction toys - and reward them when they return with the same item you threw out. This will force them to think about and calculate what you want, which will burn extra energy. This can also be accomplished from the couch - assuming you can throw the ball out the door from your couch.
7) Tug - with rules
A proper game of tug can and will burn your dog out fast - as long as they understand the rules. They need to release the item on command, not lunge or snap at it when you have it, ignore it when you tell them to, and wait when asked. As long as these polite rules are being enforced, tug is totally harmless, and actually beneficial to your dog (provided you don't swing them around, lift them off the ground, or snap your hands around too fast). You can even combine tug and fetch, tug and search, or tug and obstacles - or graduate your dog up to a larger item and teach them the "bite" command - but be aware that this is beginning protection training. The advantage of having bite on command is the ability to command it off - such as "no bite" or "stop bite", very handy for safety purposes if your dog likes to play nip or is just a lover of chewing things. You can even train your dog to "hunt" their tug toy and "kill" it on command - useful if you get a lot of pests like squirrels or foxes on your property. You can also accomplish tug while laying or sitting on the couch and not having to move - but the rules are the same.
Hopefully, we have armed you with plenty of ideas for those days when you just feel like doing nothing!
1) Teach them a brand new trick from scratch.
If you spend an hour or so every few hours in the day teaching your dog a brand new trick, they have to burn several times more mental energy than physical - and by the time the day is over, they will be drained as if you'd been on a walk. This serves dual purpose, as mental energy is harder to burn, and also burns physical energy. Stuck on new tricks? You can refine fetch to make it flawless (see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccw1uwvbx00 ) or you could attempt to teach roll over (see video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCOvAf_-Xz8 ) or even tricks like target and build into things like shutting on or off your lights, opening or closing doors, bringing you objects like the newspaper or your slippers, or even simple tricks like shake a paw or speak. Spend a day teaching these, and your dog will be tired! While this doesn't burn traveling needs, it will handle mental and physical energy. Traveling needs can be held off until the next day.
2) Utilizing a treadmill
Some families have a treadmill, but rarely do they realize they can use it for a dog. Some dogs need more coaxing than others, and some take to it like a duck to water! If your dog seems afraid of the treadmill, start it very slow, keep them on a short lead, and use lots of positive, happy energy and praise every time they move along without trying to jump off. Once they understand what they are expected to do, they will love it. Dogs don't naturally understand treadmills, which is why some of them are averse to traveling on it. The one downside to treadmills is they do not burn mental energy or traveling energy. Just physical. So, you may also need to spend some time playing with or training your dog, but they will tire out pretty quick.
3) No treadmill? Use some outdoor furniture!
If all you have is a pair of plastic outdoor chairs, a lawn couch, or other such items, you can use those, too! Put them on their backs, and use it as an obstacle course. You only need to move so far as to show them what it is, what to do, and how to play, and engage your dog a little. This is good for days when you just don't want to leave the home. You can put the jumps on command if you like, and after a couple practice runs, your dog will be leaping over chairs like it's nothing! If they have an aversion to jumping or they're too small to clear your furniture, you can train them to go under instead. Just make sure to enforce no jumping inside the home - they can break something, hurt someone, or injure themselves.
4) Search!
Train your dog to root out smells - treats, chicken stock on a piece of cardboard, a dirty sock - anything. Start small, and make them use their nose to find something a little harder to find - like on a coffee table, or on a footstool. When they can see you put it down, watch to see if they are smelling it out (because its out of their sight line) and if they are, when they find it, call out "Good, search!" after a while, they will associate "search" with locating the smell, and then you can work on larger distances. Eventually, your dog will be able to find the smell anywhere in your home once you tell them "search!" This will also burn all three energy types, and help satisfy hunting or prey drive. For dogs that just aren't interested in searching, the reward of finding the item is not enough - you will need to train them first to smell the item and get a reward such as a treat, or a brief moment with a favorite toy. Once they are smelling items on command, you can build that into search by making them move towards the item then smelling it, and then work on putting it out of the site line. The goal is the same, but the means of getting there is a little more exhaustive. Any dog can learn search!
5) Use the opportunity to re-associate behaviours.
Lets say your dog is terrified of the bathroom, because someone approached the bath the wrong way and simply wrangled the dog in to the tub and hosed them off - or however else it happened. But now, your dog is scared of the tub, and it's a fight to get them in. Take this time to re-associate the bathroom! Instead of fighting to get them in the room, take their favorite treat or toy and lure them in. If they snatch-and-run, don't be discouraged - they still entered the bathroom! You can work on getting them to stay longer, but if they are showing signs of being overwhelmed, end the session on a good note and try again in an hour. If you are persistent, you can have your dog laying in the bathtub, chewing on their toy, with no sign of stress! This will burn mental and physical energy. Remember, you are not actually bathing them. There should be no water in the tub to start with.
6) Back yard fetch
If your dog already knows fetch reliably enough to bring it back to you, let them run into the bad weather. Dogs don't care about wind or rain (and if they do, they have learned that from a human reacting poorly to the weather, and you should spend some time re-associating this behaviour), and they love running. Put a towel by your back door for their mucky paws if you like, and throw the ball out the door. If they know to return with the ball (which makes fetch officially fetch, and not just run for the ball), then you could spend time burning that energy with fetch! If this doesn't typically burn out your dog, put a few obstacles in the way, like a small chair or a few distraction toys - and reward them when they return with the same item you threw out. This will force them to think about and calculate what you want, which will burn extra energy. This can also be accomplished from the couch - assuming you can throw the ball out the door from your couch.
7) Tug - with rules
A proper game of tug can and will burn your dog out fast - as long as they understand the rules. They need to release the item on command, not lunge or snap at it when you have it, ignore it when you tell them to, and wait when asked. As long as these polite rules are being enforced, tug is totally harmless, and actually beneficial to your dog (provided you don't swing them around, lift them off the ground, or snap your hands around too fast). You can even combine tug and fetch, tug and search, or tug and obstacles - or graduate your dog up to a larger item and teach them the "bite" command - but be aware that this is beginning protection training. The advantage of having bite on command is the ability to command it off - such as "no bite" or "stop bite", very handy for safety purposes if your dog likes to play nip or is just a lover of chewing things. You can even train your dog to "hunt" their tug toy and "kill" it on command - useful if you get a lot of pests like squirrels or foxes on your property. You can also accomplish tug while laying or sitting on the couch and not having to move - but the rules are the same.
Hopefully, we have armed you with plenty of ideas for those days when you just feel like doing nothing!
Monday, November 17, 2014
Common Issues That Should Never Be Allowed - Blog Twelve
Wow, we are at twelve blogs already! Time sure flies when you're helping others! Today's topic is "Common issues that should never be allowed" and of course why, and what to do instead!
1) Off-Leash Walking
Many people enjoy the walk when their dog isn't constantly tethered by a lead to their hands, and more often than not, its because of a few reasons - the dog has no leash skills, the owner has some kind of joint pain or injury, they believe it should be the final product of proper training, or they simply think it is the easiest way to walk more than one dog on their own.
Why:
In our experience, off-leash leads to rude, disrespectful behaviour, and quite often, a lack of control on the owner's part. Most often, off-leash means the dog is either far ahead, wandering at their pleasure, dashing off at the scents and smells that interest them, running and bouncing about, and generally not being respectful to their human. This type of walking won't build your relationship; in fact, it will distance it, and give the dog reason to believe they don't have to respect you - just check in now and again. It also totally prevents you from stopping the dog from unwanted or dangerous behaviours, and disconnects the dog from your energy. Dogs off leash could catch a scent and charge off, get lost, or get hurt, or even killed. Dogs off leash could charge excitedly up to another dog and get into a fight, or could attack and kill another animal or pet. Keeping even well behaved dogs on leash will prevent ninety percent of these issues. Disconnecting a dog from your energy not only severs the delicate bond between the two of you, it turns walking from an energy burning exercise into a rompy play time that doesn't burn much mental energy at all. Mental energy is more important than physical energy; a bored dog gets into loads of problems. A dog with too much physical energy just needs a good run.
Instead:
Teaching proper leash skills not only guarantees a polite leash walker, makes structured walking possible, and mostly prevents unwanted behaviours from occurring. Of course, play time and games cannot happen safely on leash, and this should be the only time a dog should be off leash, but only when you've trained a 100% consistent recall. If you have to bribe, shout at, or repeat yourself to your dog, then you should not allow your dog off leash. As a matter of fact, it is mostly illegal in many municipalities.
2) Toys Without Rules
Most often, we see people who allow their pets 24/7 access to all of their toys - and this creates massive problems.
Why:
When a dog has access to toys, they begin to think these things are theirs, they must be protected, and often become boring. They figure them out fast, and then you end up having to bribe them just to be interested in the toy, or constantly buy new ones. You're also missing out on a critical bonding experience, and a free, treatless method of training.
Instead:
Provide rules - they have to earn the use of a toy, they must release and stop playing on command, it gets taken away when they become too intense, and the items belong to the humans, and my favourite trick - cycle them out. A dog will forget all about a toy if they go "missing" for a couple of weeks, and they get all excited when it reappears. By cycling out a toy every week or few days, you will always have that "new toy" reaction without actually having to buy anything new, and it gives them drive for the toys - creating a very easy way to expect proper behaviours, train new ones, or replace problem behaviours.
3) Feeding/Walking only at Night
Many families and personal styles of life prevent walking and feeding in the day time, occurring after work, but often they see some severe behavioural issues, and blame the dog.
Why:
While dogs have most of their energy in the morning, its from remaining stationary, not from sleeping itself. Sleeping is just a way to repair the body - something they cannot do if their stomachs have food in them. Unlike humans that recharge overnight, dogs keep the energy they had from the day before, add it on to their "stockpile" of energy, and food refuels the gas tank. They also digest their food a lot slower than humans do, and more often than not, when a dog is fed and walked at night, the walking doesn't scratch the surface of their energy needs, they are refueled by food, then they are expected to sleep on that, wait all day to get their needs met, and the cycle continues. Unless you're awake all night and asleep all day with your pet, this is disaster waiting to happen. Imagine eating your three square meals a day, but right before you go and do something - you will feel fulfilled, rested, and overall healthy. Same thing goes for dogs. Feeding and walking only at night to a dog is about as helpful as a human only eating or walking at 6 am for the whole day.
Instead:
Owning a dog isn't always about what's easiest for the human. It is about giving a life that is totally dependant on you what they need. Wake up a couple hours early, feed your pup, walk them, and consider hiring someone to take them out when you are at work. Dogs need most of their exercise and food for the day in the morning, as close to sunrise as possible. A snack or smaller meal can be given later in the day, but only if you're going to burn that added energy and food off again. Dogs need to sleep on an empty stomach to heal properly - as do humans. If you absolutely must walk and feed at night, you must hire someone to exercise your dog in the daytime, or consider re-homing your dog. It should only ever occur as an enjoyment walk, after all the other exercise needs are met. If you cannot provide proper care of a dog due to your lifestyle, it is not fair on the dog for it to mold around your needs. There is nothing at all wrong with admitting your life does not fit a dog right now.
4) Improper Crate Training
Most people have a negative view about crates - and when you see dogs that are scared of the crate, hate it, chew their way out, or sustain injuries inside one, its really easy to see why that view happens. However, these instances were from improper crate training.
Why:
When crates are used as punishment or containment during disobedience early on, it becomes a negative space. Dogs naturally enjoy having a den space, but most of the time, humans use the wrong type of crate, or something that is way too small, and use it for the wrong reasons. Think about it like this; you love your bedroom, you enjoy the space, the relaxing, the sleeping - but if someone didn't like something you did and locked you in there, you'd get pretty mad about that room very fast. You might even have issues sleeping in there. If another adult, in the heat of an argument, locked you in your bedroom, its clear to see what is wrong with that - but many people do this to their dogs, or put them in it when they have way too much energy - like feeding ice cream to a toddler then putting them in a crib. A crate should never be used for these purposes.
Instead:
Teach your dog that their crate is their safe space - they can hide there when they feel unsafe, they can sleep there, they can choose to be there - they should be trained that it is comfy, safe spot, not a cage to be locked away in. With puppies, this happens in short spurts, treats, loves, and leaving them there for not even 20 minutes. You should never ever use a crate to contain an energetic dog, or a dog that has misbehaved. Remember, all misbehaviours happen because of a missed training opportunity, or the human caused it by not fulfilling needs.
5) Door Disrespect
Many owners don't realize that the door, or any other entrance or threshold, offers not only a source of competition, but superstitions, bad habits, and training opportunities. What is normal for a human at a door is abnormal for a dog- so we must train them proper rules.
Why:
When a dog charges at or barks at the door, it's a sign of fear or dominance, neither scenario being acceptable. If they move through the door first, they are in control. Even little things like this speaks volumes to your dog, and should be managed appropriately. Some dogs even think that the door belongs to them - and can attack or challenge anyone that goes near it.
Instead:
Have a spot they must occupy out of the way near the door so they can see and greet, but respectfully. Make them sit and wait at all thresholds, whether it be a gate, door, front door, anything. Dogs should be taught to only bark once or twice at the door, and then occupy their spot until the human answers the door. When leaving, a dog must allow humans first, never run or push through a door, and it should never become a competition (ie, who gets through the door first, who can guard the door best, ect).
6) Leaving Kids and Dogs Alone
Normally this occurs in short spurts; they're all outside, playing, and the phone rings, or someone's at the door, whatever distraction - and the dog is trained, is fine around the child, so the owner assumes its fine. This is when so many problems occur.
Why:
When the human that is in control leaves, if pack structure is not employed with absolute perfection on a minute by minute basis, every time, the dog is going to believe they are temporarily in control, and must watch, mind, babysit, or protect the child - and they often resort to tactics they use on puppies to keep them in line, without realizing that a light corrective nip can deface and seriously injure a human child. They often take it upon themselves to disagree with certain annoying or improper behaviours, and think they can correct a child like a puppy, because it's all they are equipped with.
Instead:
Never leave a child and a dog alone, ever - even if your dog has never bitten anyone. Instead, bring either the kid or the dog with you if you have to leave the area.
7) Sharing Toys/Food/Beds/Crates/Space/Water sources
When one home has more than one dog, its common to make them share - and most people think it's harmless.
Why:
The moment the dogs are forced to share something, even as small as the same dish, the same tug toy, or the same crate, it brings an energy of competition. More often than not, one dog owns it all, and the other dogs are forced to sneak, steal, or otherwise find something else that's inappropriate for them to play with. Some people argue nothing ever happens - but this simply isn't the case. A confrontation between dogs over a toy can happen in milliseconds, and often isn't marked by any obvious behaviour. It's usually just a look, or a quick glance that the untrained eye can't see. Only in extreme situations does a dog attack or growl over food or toys.
Instead:
Each dog should have their own bed, crate, set of dishes, space to eat in, and toys - and IF they share toys, it must be done fairly, and with fast, expert human reactions.
8) Lack Of Proper Commands
Yes should mean yes, No should mean no, and sit should mean put my bum down until I am told otherwise - but down can mean get down, lay down, don't jump, get off the furniture....It is incredibly confusing.
Why:
When a word can mean several different things, a dog has to stop and think about what it means in that scenario, often resulting in a delay in obedience, and most humans get frustrated at the dog. It's not the dog's fault, they don't have the ability to differentiate scenarios and words like humans can. To a dog, each word needs to mean something specific, and when it doesn't, it really throws them for a loop.
Instead:
Teach a different word for each instance. Off the furniture could be "Off", but then you can't use "Off" for get off the bed, or get off of a person. "Down" should be the position anywhere they are, but then "Don't Jump Up" can't be down, too. Instead, retrain yourself and your dog that there are different words for every situation. Also, if you use "No" in training to indicate they made a mistake and to try again, you should not use "No" to mean you screwed up, bad dog.
That's all for today, keep up the good work and we will see you and your Ideal Compaion next time!
1) Off-Leash Walking
Many people enjoy the walk when their dog isn't constantly tethered by a lead to their hands, and more often than not, its because of a few reasons - the dog has no leash skills, the owner has some kind of joint pain or injury, they believe it should be the final product of proper training, or they simply think it is the easiest way to walk more than one dog on their own.
Why:
In our experience, off-leash leads to rude, disrespectful behaviour, and quite often, a lack of control on the owner's part. Most often, off-leash means the dog is either far ahead, wandering at their pleasure, dashing off at the scents and smells that interest them, running and bouncing about, and generally not being respectful to their human. This type of walking won't build your relationship; in fact, it will distance it, and give the dog reason to believe they don't have to respect you - just check in now and again. It also totally prevents you from stopping the dog from unwanted or dangerous behaviours, and disconnects the dog from your energy. Dogs off leash could catch a scent and charge off, get lost, or get hurt, or even killed. Dogs off leash could charge excitedly up to another dog and get into a fight, or could attack and kill another animal or pet. Keeping even well behaved dogs on leash will prevent ninety percent of these issues. Disconnecting a dog from your energy not only severs the delicate bond between the two of you, it turns walking from an energy burning exercise into a rompy play time that doesn't burn much mental energy at all. Mental energy is more important than physical energy; a bored dog gets into loads of problems. A dog with too much physical energy just needs a good run.
Instead:
Teaching proper leash skills not only guarantees a polite leash walker, makes structured walking possible, and mostly prevents unwanted behaviours from occurring. Of course, play time and games cannot happen safely on leash, and this should be the only time a dog should be off leash, but only when you've trained a 100% consistent recall. If you have to bribe, shout at, or repeat yourself to your dog, then you should not allow your dog off leash. As a matter of fact, it is mostly illegal in many municipalities.
2) Toys Without Rules
Most often, we see people who allow their pets 24/7 access to all of their toys - and this creates massive problems.
Why:
When a dog has access to toys, they begin to think these things are theirs, they must be protected, and often become boring. They figure them out fast, and then you end up having to bribe them just to be interested in the toy, or constantly buy new ones. You're also missing out on a critical bonding experience, and a free, treatless method of training.
Instead:
Provide rules - they have to earn the use of a toy, they must release and stop playing on command, it gets taken away when they become too intense, and the items belong to the humans, and my favourite trick - cycle them out. A dog will forget all about a toy if they go "missing" for a couple of weeks, and they get all excited when it reappears. By cycling out a toy every week or few days, you will always have that "new toy" reaction without actually having to buy anything new, and it gives them drive for the toys - creating a very easy way to expect proper behaviours, train new ones, or replace problem behaviours.
3) Feeding/Walking only at Night
Many families and personal styles of life prevent walking and feeding in the day time, occurring after work, but often they see some severe behavioural issues, and blame the dog.
Why:
While dogs have most of their energy in the morning, its from remaining stationary, not from sleeping itself. Sleeping is just a way to repair the body - something they cannot do if their stomachs have food in them. Unlike humans that recharge overnight, dogs keep the energy they had from the day before, add it on to their "stockpile" of energy, and food refuels the gas tank. They also digest their food a lot slower than humans do, and more often than not, when a dog is fed and walked at night, the walking doesn't scratch the surface of their energy needs, they are refueled by food, then they are expected to sleep on that, wait all day to get their needs met, and the cycle continues. Unless you're awake all night and asleep all day with your pet, this is disaster waiting to happen. Imagine eating your three square meals a day, but right before you go and do something - you will feel fulfilled, rested, and overall healthy. Same thing goes for dogs. Feeding and walking only at night to a dog is about as helpful as a human only eating or walking at 6 am for the whole day.
Instead:
Owning a dog isn't always about what's easiest for the human. It is about giving a life that is totally dependant on you what they need. Wake up a couple hours early, feed your pup, walk them, and consider hiring someone to take them out when you are at work. Dogs need most of their exercise and food for the day in the morning, as close to sunrise as possible. A snack or smaller meal can be given later in the day, but only if you're going to burn that added energy and food off again. Dogs need to sleep on an empty stomach to heal properly - as do humans. If you absolutely must walk and feed at night, you must hire someone to exercise your dog in the daytime, or consider re-homing your dog. It should only ever occur as an enjoyment walk, after all the other exercise needs are met. If you cannot provide proper care of a dog due to your lifestyle, it is not fair on the dog for it to mold around your needs. There is nothing at all wrong with admitting your life does not fit a dog right now.
4) Improper Crate Training
Most people have a negative view about crates - and when you see dogs that are scared of the crate, hate it, chew their way out, or sustain injuries inside one, its really easy to see why that view happens. However, these instances were from improper crate training.
Why:
When crates are used as punishment or containment during disobedience early on, it becomes a negative space. Dogs naturally enjoy having a den space, but most of the time, humans use the wrong type of crate, or something that is way too small, and use it for the wrong reasons. Think about it like this; you love your bedroom, you enjoy the space, the relaxing, the sleeping - but if someone didn't like something you did and locked you in there, you'd get pretty mad about that room very fast. You might even have issues sleeping in there. If another adult, in the heat of an argument, locked you in your bedroom, its clear to see what is wrong with that - but many people do this to their dogs, or put them in it when they have way too much energy - like feeding ice cream to a toddler then putting them in a crib. A crate should never be used for these purposes.
Instead:
Teach your dog that their crate is their safe space - they can hide there when they feel unsafe, they can sleep there, they can choose to be there - they should be trained that it is comfy, safe spot, not a cage to be locked away in. With puppies, this happens in short spurts, treats, loves, and leaving them there for not even 20 minutes. You should never ever use a crate to contain an energetic dog, or a dog that has misbehaved. Remember, all misbehaviours happen because of a missed training opportunity, or the human caused it by not fulfilling needs.
5) Door Disrespect
Many owners don't realize that the door, or any other entrance or threshold, offers not only a source of competition, but superstitions, bad habits, and training opportunities. What is normal for a human at a door is abnormal for a dog- so we must train them proper rules.
Why:
When a dog charges at or barks at the door, it's a sign of fear or dominance, neither scenario being acceptable. If they move through the door first, they are in control. Even little things like this speaks volumes to your dog, and should be managed appropriately. Some dogs even think that the door belongs to them - and can attack or challenge anyone that goes near it.
Instead:
Have a spot they must occupy out of the way near the door so they can see and greet, but respectfully. Make them sit and wait at all thresholds, whether it be a gate, door, front door, anything. Dogs should be taught to only bark once or twice at the door, and then occupy their spot until the human answers the door. When leaving, a dog must allow humans first, never run or push through a door, and it should never become a competition (ie, who gets through the door first, who can guard the door best, ect).
6) Leaving Kids and Dogs Alone
Normally this occurs in short spurts; they're all outside, playing, and the phone rings, or someone's at the door, whatever distraction - and the dog is trained, is fine around the child, so the owner assumes its fine. This is when so many problems occur.
Why:
When the human that is in control leaves, if pack structure is not employed with absolute perfection on a minute by minute basis, every time, the dog is going to believe they are temporarily in control, and must watch, mind, babysit, or protect the child - and they often resort to tactics they use on puppies to keep them in line, without realizing that a light corrective nip can deface and seriously injure a human child. They often take it upon themselves to disagree with certain annoying or improper behaviours, and think they can correct a child like a puppy, because it's all they are equipped with.
Instead:
Never leave a child and a dog alone, ever - even if your dog has never bitten anyone. Instead, bring either the kid or the dog with you if you have to leave the area.
7) Sharing Toys/Food/Beds/Crates/Space/Water sources
When one home has more than one dog, its common to make them share - and most people think it's harmless.
Why:
The moment the dogs are forced to share something, even as small as the same dish, the same tug toy, or the same crate, it brings an energy of competition. More often than not, one dog owns it all, and the other dogs are forced to sneak, steal, or otherwise find something else that's inappropriate for them to play with. Some people argue nothing ever happens - but this simply isn't the case. A confrontation between dogs over a toy can happen in milliseconds, and often isn't marked by any obvious behaviour. It's usually just a look, or a quick glance that the untrained eye can't see. Only in extreme situations does a dog attack or growl over food or toys.
Instead:
Each dog should have their own bed, crate, set of dishes, space to eat in, and toys - and IF they share toys, it must be done fairly, and with fast, expert human reactions.
8) Lack Of Proper Commands
Yes should mean yes, No should mean no, and sit should mean put my bum down until I am told otherwise - but down can mean get down, lay down, don't jump, get off the furniture....It is incredibly confusing.
Why:
When a word can mean several different things, a dog has to stop and think about what it means in that scenario, often resulting in a delay in obedience, and most humans get frustrated at the dog. It's not the dog's fault, they don't have the ability to differentiate scenarios and words like humans can. To a dog, each word needs to mean something specific, and when it doesn't, it really throws them for a loop.
Instead:
Teach a different word for each instance. Off the furniture could be "Off", but then you can't use "Off" for get off the bed, or get off of a person. "Down" should be the position anywhere they are, but then "Don't Jump Up" can't be down, too. Instead, retrain yourself and your dog that there are different words for every situation. Also, if you use "No" in training to indicate they made a mistake and to try again, you should not use "No" to mean you screwed up, bad dog.
That's all for today, keep up the good work and we will see you and your Ideal Compaion next time!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Critical Skills All Dogs Should Learn - Blog Eleven
We all love our dogs, that much could never be in doubt - and for one family, the obedience level need is different from the next - some people need a schutzhund level trained dog, and others just want a lap warmer. But all things considered, there are a certain few skills every dog should know!
1) Proper Leash Skills
Whether or not you want a structured walk or a lazy sunday stroll just for fun, every dog should learn manners when they are on leash, and all dogs should stay on leash unless they're playing. Dogs pull because humans move slower than they do, and they must learn to walk slower and that walking in front of us is very rude. Most often, the dogs that get into trouble on walks are the ones that are walking rudely with their humans. All dogs should understand that pulling is not okay, that leash pressure means move towards it, and that it is rude to walk ahead.
2) Fast Command Response
If you say sit, you should only ever have to say it once, and that needs to be it. If your dog doesn't listen immediately to what you're telling it to do, they don't respect you, and eventually they learn that "sit" means nothing and "sit sit sit sit sit" means park my bum for a half second then carry on.
3) Emergency Down or "Hit the Ground"
In cases of dogs that could be a flight risk, if you train this skill well enough, your dog will go into a down no matter what they're doing, and it could save their lives. While it is a little tricky to train into all situations, the payoff is well worth it. If trained right, if you happen to lose grip on the leash and your dog darts off to greet another dog across a busy street, if they know "Hit the Ground" or "STOP", they will cease what they are doing and go into a down until you release them.
4) Out/Drop it
If a dog is allowed to have a toy all the time and doesn't have to give it up, it creates possessiveness and toy dominance issues. All dogs should understand that out or drop it means business!
5) Crate Skills
Crates might come across as unfair but when it boils down to it, when trained properly, the dog learns it is like a little bedroom where they can be safe, secure, relaxed, and happy, away from the cat or the baby or even just away from you. Seeing as its illegal to travel in a car unless your dog is crated, happy crate skills are critical.
6) Stay
The ability to put your dog in a spot and walk away is very important, especially if you want to shower, or cook without your dog underfoot. Stay is a command that can also save lives - especially if they want to go play with that aggressive dog across the path.
7) Place/Bed
While stay is naturally included with place, a dog needs a spot of their own that they know is theirs to lay on, besides their crate. If they happen to jump on to human furniture, you can say "No, bed" and eventually they will learn their spot is where they rest.
8) How to ignore other dogs
The concept that dogs must greet other dogs all the time is a human concept based on the fact that humans greet other humans all the time. Social skills to a dog is the ability to ignore other dogs and not worry about a confrontation, and it's important that they learn this skill early, because you can't guarantee anyone else's dogs are going to be polite. In the case of fearful dogs that are scared of other dogs, the process of safe walking does include desensitizing them to other dogs by making them meet safe dogs.
9) High intensity Exercise
While walking at human speed might tire out a puppy, it doesn't do much for most other dogs. All dogs should learn skills like fetch, swimming, or some form of high intensity exercise to burn this excess energy that a walk won't burn off.
10) Proper Consistent Communication
If you don't have a proper communication system with your dog, everything else falls apart. Most people do not have a proper communication system with their dogs. For instance, do you have separate commands for training and behavioural mistakes? Can you say that you don't use the same word for many different behaviours? Dogs need every word to mean one thing, and only one thing. "Yes" should be "You did that right", and "No" should only ever mean "That was not what I wanted, try again" and not a "Stop that, you bad boy". "Sit" should only ever mean put your bum on the ground and wait, and "down" should only ever mean put your belly on the ground and wait. I can't count the times where I have met people where "down" meant lay down, relax, stop jumping, get off the furniture, drop the toy, and in a couple cases, where the dog thought "sit" meant just touch the ground with my bum and carry on. This always leads to confusion, because the dog has to stop and think and go "did they mean down as in off the couch, or should I lay down? Maybe they mean down as in just relax?" and they don't respond, which makes the humans mad, sadly caused by the human not using different terms. This is also why "No" should mean training mistake, try again, and a different sound for "You really screwed up, stop that". Out should either mean release the toy OR go outside, not both, and bed should exclusively refer to their bed on the floor, and not the crate. Simple confusions like this cause a dog to stop and think for too long, and often result in a frustrated human.
Good luck out there, everyone!
1) Proper Leash Skills
Whether or not you want a structured walk or a lazy sunday stroll just for fun, every dog should learn manners when they are on leash, and all dogs should stay on leash unless they're playing. Dogs pull because humans move slower than they do, and they must learn to walk slower and that walking in front of us is very rude. Most often, the dogs that get into trouble on walks are the ones that are walking rudely with their humans. All dogs should understand that pulling is not okay, that leash pressure means move towards it, and that it is rude to walk ahead.
2) Fast Command Response
If you say sit, you should only ever have to say it once, and that needs to be it. If your dog doesn't listen immediately to what you're telling it to do, they don't respect you, and eventually they learn that "sit" means nothing and "sit sit sit sit sit" means park my bum for a half second then carry on.
3) Emergency Down or "Hit the Ground"
In cases of dogs that could be a flight risk, if you train this skill well enough, your dog will go into a down no matter what they're doing, and it could save their lives. While it is a little tricky to train into all situations, the payoff is well worth it. If trained right, if you happen to lose grip on the leash and your dog darts off to greet another dog across a busy street, if they know "Hit the Ground" or "STOP", they will cease what they are doing and go into a down until you release them.
4) Out/Drop it
If a dog is allowed to have a toy all the time and doesn't have to give it up, it creates possessiveness and toy dominance issues. All dogs should understand that out or drop it means business!
5) Crate Skills
Crates might come across as unfair but when it boils down to it, when trained properly, the dog learns it is like a little bedroom where they can be safe, secure, relaxed, and happy, away from the cat or the baby or even just away from you. Seeing as its illegal to travel in a car unless your dog is crated, happy crate skills are critical.
6) Stay
The ability to put your dog in a spot and walk away is very important, especially if you want to shower, or cook without your dog underfoot. Stay is a command that can also save lives - especially if they want to go play with that aggressive dog across the path.
7) Place/Bed
While stay is naturally included with place, a dog needs a spot of their own that they know is theirs to lay on, besides their crate. If they happen to jump on to human furniture, you can say "No, bed" and eventually they will learn their spot is where they rest.
8) How to ignore other dogs
The concept that dogs must greet other dogs all the time is a human concept based on the fact that humans greet other humans all the time. Social skills to a dog is the ability to ignore other dogs and not worry about a confrontation, and it's important that they learn this skill early, because you can't guarantee anyone else's dogs are going to be polite. In the case of fearful dogs that are scared of other dogs, the process of safe walking does include desensitizing them to other dogs by making them meet safe dogs.
9) High intensity Exercise
While walking at human speed might tire out a puppy, it doesn't do much for most other dogs. All dogs should learn skills like fetch, swimming, or some form of high intensity exercise to burn this excess energy that a walk won't burn off.
10) Proper Consistent Communication
If you don't have a proper communication system with your dog, everything else falls apart. Most people do not have a proper communication system with their dogs. For instance, do you have separate commands for training and behavioural mistakes? Can you say that you don't use the same word for many different behaviours? Dogs need every word to mean one thing, and only one thing. "Yes" should be "You did that right", and "No" should only ever mean "That was not what I wanted, try again" and not a "Stop that, you bad boy". "Sit" should only ever mean put your bum on the ground and wait, and "down" should only ever mean put your belly on the ground and wait. I can't count the times where I have met people where "down" meant lay down, relax, stop jumping, get off the furniture, drop the toy, and in a couple cases, where the dog thought "sit" meant just touch the ground with my bum and carry on. This always leads to confusion, because the dog has to stop and think and go "did they mean down as in off the couch, or should I lay down? Maybe they mean down as in just relax?" and they don't respond, which makes the humans mad, sadly caused by the human not using different terms. This is also why "No" should mean training mistake, try again, and a different sound for "You really screwed up, stop that". Out should either mean release the toy OR go outside, not both, and bed should exclusively refer to their bed on the floor, and not the crate. Simple confusions like this cause a dog to stop and think for too long, and often result in a frustrated human.
Good luck out there, everyone!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Top 10 Mistakes Dog Owners Make, And Why They're Mistakes - Blog Ten
Hey everyone, its our tenth blog today, hooray! Our topic in today's post is the top ten mistakes that most dog owners make, and why they are mistakes! See how you rate - and if you have some changes to make!
10) Allowing Dogs Up On Human Furniture
While this seems totally harmless, and in some rare cases it is, the general idea of allowing a dog up on to human furniture is a mistake. It can be nice to have the whole family, pets and all, in the living room or den to watch TV, or chat. It gives the entire family a moment to relax, and provides family unity - all things that are great. But, from your dog's perspective, only the top dog of the family gets the best of the best - the best place to sit, the best place to sleep, the best toys, the best food - everything. Dogs already get their own toys, and food. Allowing them to sit in the same place as the humans lends to the belief that the dog is in control. Dogs can be allowed up on the couch, but only when invited to do so - not when the dog wants it, and especially not if the dog acts up while on the furniture.
9) Co-sleeping
Just like the last paragraph says for furniture, co-sleeping is a bad idea for the same reason. The more items that are shared with the dogs that belong to humans, the higher likelihood you're going to have of a dog thinking they're in control. Most people allow dogs in the bed because they whine everywhere else and its just easier to let them in bed; well, the whining worked. The dog manipulated you in to caving in, because he knows it will work. Sometimes, you just have to put in ear plugs, and ignore the behaviour. They can and should be in the bedroom too; just on the floor, or in a crate overnight.
8) Not Carrying On Life-Long Training
While the basics are very important, and every dog should know proper leash skills, sit/down/stay, you would be surprised at the amount of dog owners that stop at "sit" and don't carry on training. A dog should be learning something almost all of the time; training should never be "done" with a dog. Keep striving for perfect behaviour, new tricks, better or faster response times; no dog is too old to learn something new. Not only does this build confidence, but it burns mental energy - something many owners do not realize they need to expend in a dog.
7) Feeding Too Much
I have found that most owners feed their dogs way too much. Most dogs' stomachs are about half the size of their heads, and need more time to digest than humans do. Most people tend to listen exclusively to veterinarians for dietary advice, and more often than not, Vets are paid off by companies to sell product as much as they can - and often sell poor quality junk type dog foods, and tell you to feed way too much. Most dogs only need to eat once or twice a day, and only enough to fill that little stomach. For instance, a chihuahua should only be getting a half cup of food twice a day, and larger dog, such as a boxer, should be eating about 2 cups total per day. Over feeding leads to weight gain and an explosive amount of energy that must be burned off.
6) Feeding Too Late At Night
Another issue I come across quite a lot is owners feeding their dogs way too late in the day. Unlike humans, dogs don't "reset" overnight like humans do. Dogs' energy piles up on them, and can mount up for days at a time, especially if they are fed and then expected to sleep. Dogs need about 4 to 6 hours to digest, and still need exercise after a meal in order for them not to be crazy the next day. Dogs should be fed early in the morning, as early as possible, and in the afternoon - dogs should never be fed close to bed time, or in the evening, unless you're a night owl. Expecting a dog to eat and then sleep is about as unfair as giving a toddler ice cream before a nap - and I'm sure some of you knows how effective THAT would be.
5) Walking Too Late At Night
Just like feeding too late, walking too late can also be an issue. While you should always walk a dog after they've eaten, walking them exclusively at night leads to detrimental problems. If dogs cannot reset at night, they have to wait all day to walk and be fed, then they have to sleep on all that energy, only to wake up and wait all day again. Try doing this yourself once, and see how not fun it is. Then imagine all that energy carries over to the next morning, instead of refreshing overnight as you sleep. I'm sure you can see why this causes all kinds of problems. Most dogs need at least 2 hours as early in the morning as humanly possible, preferably around sunrise, and also in the afternoon after a meal. Some dogs, like Shepherds or Collies, need 6 or more hours of exercise after every meal. It can be quite the undertaking!
4) Not Being Consistent
If it is a rule not to bark at the door, it should always be a rule not to bark at the door, even if the mayor comes over for tea. Many owners let behaviour slide when other people are around because they are focused on the other people - but this is very confusing for a dog. Some can even become disobedient around other people because of this, and leave the owner frustrated and confused because they "know better". Honestly, they know exactly what's going on - that they don't have to obey all the time.
3) Not Claiming Dog Behaviours As Their Own Fault, And Making Up Excuses
How many times have you heard a dog owner say "Oh he's just frustrated" when their dog nips at your kid, or blush and try and say their dog is "Very Social" as they pull their owners trying to rush over? Every owner has had these moments, but the truth is, dogs are little mirrors - they show us the parts inside of ourselves that need changing. All dog behaviour is directly caused by the humans in their lives, and whether it's fun to admit it or not, all dog problems are people problems. It is very important that humans claim these issues, and change them, instead of excusing them.
2) Not Fulfilling Breed Need
Border Collies need to herd, Heelers and Rottweilers need to, too; Akitas, Shepherds, and Malinois' need to guard, Jack Russells, Labradors, and Pointers need to hunt, and Pitbulls need to be around their family. These sentiments are nothing new, but a surprising amount of owners don't realize how important the breed need really is. If your dog loves to bite and chew on things, it needs to be given a constructive outlet - otherwise it become a destructive problem. If you purchase or adopt a dog, be aware of what a dog needs - because they are just going with instinct, and it is unfair of the human to expect their dog to fit in a perfect dog-box and not present breed behaviours. All breeds have a specific need; from prey drive to protection work, your pup needs to be encouraged to outlet that energy in a safe environment.
1) Thinking Their Dog Is Obeying When They Are Just Making You Shut Up
If you have to command your dog more than once, it isn't obeying. Some dogs end up needing to be told "sit" 6 or 7 times before they listen, and most often, they do it for a couple seconds, then go back to what they were doing before, or not complying at all. Unfortunately, this is not obedience. This is the dog just wanting to make you stop talking to them. They have learned that your command means "if you want to" and they are not taking you seriously. If you have to catch their attention before they obey more than once, you're not pack leader. Does your walk sound something like this? "Pup. Sit. Sit. Sit. Hey, come here. Pup. Hey. Sit. SIT. PUP, SIT." and the dog is totally ignoring you, or half sits then walks away? Your dog is basically making you stop talking. They are not taking you seriously, and it's time to go all the way back to puppy-level training basics.
Hopefully, you didn't score any of the top ten! Good luck out there, guys!
10) Allowing Dogs Up On Human Furniture
While this seems totally harmless, and in some rare cases it is, the general idea of allowing a dog up on to human furniture is a mistake. It can be nice to have the whole family, pets and all, in the living room or den to watch TV, or chat. It gives the entire family a moment to relax, and provides family unity - all things that are great. But, from your dog's perspective, only the top dog of the family gets the best of the best - the best place to sit, the best place to sleep, the best toys, the best food - everything. Dogs already get their own toys, and food. Allowing them to sit in the same place as the humans lends to the belief that the dog is in control. Dogs can be allowed up on the couch, but only when invited to do so - not when the dog wants it, and especially not if the dog acts up while on the furniture.
9) Co-sleeping
Just like the last paragraph says for furniture, co-sleeping is a bad idea for the same reason. The more items that are shared with the dogs that belong to humans, the higher likelihood you're going to have of a dog thinking they're in control. Most people allow dogs in the bed because they whine everywhere else and its just easier to let them in bed; well, the whining worked. The dog manipulated you in to caving in, because he knows it will work. Sometimes, you just have to put in ear plugs, and ignore the behaviour. They can and should be in the bedroom too; just on the floor, or in a crate overnight.
8) Not Carrying On Life-Long Training
While the basics are very important, and every dog should know proper leash skills, sit/down/stay, you would be surprised at the amount of dog owners that stop at "sit" and don't carry on training. A dog should be learning something almost all of the time; training should never be "done" with a dog. Keep striving for perfect behaviour, new tricks, better or faster response times; no dog is too old to learn something new. Not only does this build confidence, but it burns mental energy - something many owners do not realize they need to expend in a dog.
7) Feeding Too Much
I have found that most owners feed their dogs way too much. Most dogs' stomachs are about half the size of their heads, and need more time to digest than humans do. Most people tend to listen exclusively to veterinarians for dietary advice, and more often than not, Vets are paid off by companies to sell product as much as they can - and often sell poor quality junk type dog foods, and tell you to feed way too much. Most dogs only need to eat once or twice a day, and only enough to fill that little stomach. For instance, a chihuahua should only be getting a half cup of food twice a day, and larger dog, such as a boxer, should be eating about 2 cups total per day. Over feeding leads to weight gain and an explosive amount of energy that must be burned off.
6) Feeding Too Late At Night
Another issue I come across quite a lot is owners feeding their dogs way too late in the day. Unlike humans, dogs don't "reset" overnight like humans do. Dogs' energy piles up on them, and can mount up for days at a time, especially if they are fed and then expected to sleep. Dogs need about 4 to 6 hours to digest, and still need exercise after a meal in order for them not to be crazy the next day. Dogs should be fed early in the morning, as early as possible, and in the afternoon - dogs should never be fed close to bed time, or in the evening, unless you're a night owl. Expecting a dog to eat and then sleep is about as unfair as giving a toddler ice cream before a nap - and I'm sure some of you knows how effective THAT would be.
5) Walking Too Late At Night
Just like feeding too late, walking too late can also be an issue. While you should always walk a dog after they've eaten, walking them exclusively at night leads to detrimental problems. If dogs cannot reset at night, they have to wait all day to walk and be fed, then they have to sleep on all that energy, only to wake up and wait all day again. Try doing this yourself once, and see how not fun it is. Then imagine all that energy carries over to the next morning, instead of refreshing overnight as you sleep. I'm sure you can see why this causes all kinds of problems. Most dogs need at least 2 hours as early in the morning as humanly possible, preferably around sunrise, and also in the afternoon after a meal. Some dogs, like Shepherds or Collies, need 6 or more hours of exercise after every meal. It can be quite the undertaking!
4) Not Being Consistent
If it is a rule not to bark at the door, it should always be a rule not to bark at the door, even if the mayor comes over for tea. Many owners let behaviour slide when other people are around because they are focused on the other people - but this is very confusing for a dog. Some can even become disobedient around other people because of this, and leave the owner frustrated and confused because they "know better". Honestly, they know exactly what's going on - that they don't have to obey all the time.
3) Not Claiming Dog Behaviours As Their Own Fault, And Making Up Excuses
How many times have you heard a dog owner say "Oh he's just frustrated" when their dog nips at your kid, or blush and try and say their dog is "Very Social" as they pull their owners trying to rush over? Every owner has had these moments, but the truth is, dogs are little mirrors - they show us the parts inside of ourselves that need changing. All dog behaviour is directly caused by the humans in their lives, and whether it's fun to admit it or not, all dog problems are people problems. It is very important that humans claim these issues, and change them, instead of excusing them.
2) Not Fulfilling Breed Need
Border Collies need to herd, Heelers and Rottweilers need to, too; Akitas, Shepherds, and Malinois' need to guard, Jack Russells, Labradors, and Pointers need to hunt, and Pitbulls need to be around their family. These sentiments are nothing new, but a surprising amount of owners don't realize how important the breed need really is. If your dog loves to bite and chew on things, it needs to be given a constructive outlet - otherwise it become a destructive problem. If you purchase or adopt a dog, be aware of what a dog needs - because they are just going with instinct, and it is unfair of the human to expect their dog to fit in a perfect dog-box and not present breed behaviours. All breeds have a specific need; from prey drive to protection work, your pup needs to be encouraged to outlet that energy in a safe environment.
1) Thinking Their Dog Is Obeying When They Are Just Making You Shut Up
If you have to command your dog more than once, it isn't obeying. Some dogs end up needing to be told "sit" 6 or 7 times before they listen, and most often, they do it for a couple seconds, then go back to what they were doing before, or not complying at all. Unfortunately, this is not obedience. This is the dog just wanting to make you stop talking to them. They have learned that your command means "if you want to" and they are not taking you seriously. If you have to catch their attention before they obey more than once, you're not pack leader. Does your walk sound something like this? "Pup. Sit. Sit. Sit. Hey, come here. Pup. Hey. Sit. SIT. PUP, SIT." and the dog is totally ignoring you, or half sits then walks away? Your dog is basically making you stop talking. They are not taking you seriously, and it's time to go all the way back to puppy-level training basics.
Hopefully, you didn't score any of the top ten! Good luck out there, guys!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
5 Best Breeds For Beginner Owners, And 10 Breeds To Stay Away From - Blog Nine
It's no secret that there are breeds of dogs that are far more complicated than others, and breeds that should be owned by experienced dog-masters only - many other breeds fall into this category. But, what about breeds that are a little more forgiving for people who haven't owned a dog before, or have limited experience in reading dogs? This blog post is all about the breeds that are the best candidates for beginners!
After, we will go over 10 breeds that beginners should not bring in to their homes until they gain more experience - and this goes for all beginners, including trainers that haven't trained them before. These breeds are usually the most problematic for inexperienced owners.
Beginner Breeds
1) Labrador/Golden Retriever
Not surprisingly, the first breed that is great for beginners is the Retriever. These dogs are generally well balanced, forgiving, and gentle, and can tolerate some newbie mistakes without having too many detrimental behaviour problems. That being said, Retrievers can go sour very fast if they are not exercised enough. Retrievers need quite a lot of exercise; some need at least 6 hours of intense, high-level exercise every day, so if you are not an active person, and work most of the day, a Retriever is not the right fit for you.
2) Mastiffs
This addition might surprise you, but most Mastiffs are lazy, slow, and really easy going. They only need a couple hours of exercise every day, and when given a job or some kind of mental exercise, Mastiffs are very easy to manage. They are fine with spending most of the day on the couch with you. They do need more mental exercise than physical, meaning they need to use their minds every day, or they tend to get bored - and bring out behaviours like aggression or destruction to occupy their minds themselves. If you have a bit of a longer work day and prefer to have a dog that can be either active with you or lazy, the Mastiff is a great fit, but if you're not into brain games such as fetch, search, or training your dog to perform tasks, steer clear of the Mastiff.
3) Great Dane
Contrary to popular belief, Great Danes are actually very lazy, low energy dogs that can fit themselves into the space they need to fit in. That isn't to say they don't need exercise, but they need lesser than most large dogs - they can even handle skipping a day. Training wise, they do need a little extra vigilance, however as long as they get a good balance of mental and physical exercise, Great Danes make great pets. If you're the type to have changing shifts and can't always get them outside, this is the dog for you - however, if you can't handle at least 2 hours of walking when you can get out, this isn't a good fit.
4) Greyhound
While famous for how fast they can run, Greyhounds are actually pretty lazy. They love to run, but once they're done, they're done. You can easily tire a Greyhound out in an hour, and spend some time exercising the brain. Overall, Greyhounds are simple to train, and easy to tire out - excellent for those who are retired, or maybe don't work all day. However, Greyhounds don't do too well alone - and someone who works full time shouldn't consider a Greyhound.
5) Cocker Spaniel
These pups are usually very hyper, high energy dogs that very quickly spiral out of control - often becoming unruly. The realty is, Cockers just need to know what is expected of them, and plenty of activities. They suit a family where someone is home to be with them and keep them active, and even an active retired couple, or even a single part-timer. They can be left alone if they're exercised, but watch out - Cockers need three or four hours of activity and mental stimulation, so they aren't great for someone who works all day.
Breeds to Steer Clear of as a Beginner
1) Chihuahua
They might be small and cute, but these dogs have a lot of needs - exercise, mental stimulation, spot-on training, accurate behaviour management, and they're pretty smart - they know exactly what they can get away with. They might be little, but they can get out of control very fast in the hands of someone who can't read and respond to the very fast, minor queues that a dog is exhibiting. Chihuahuas need a moderate amount of exercise, about two hours every morning - but they need many hours of mental stimulation - upwards of four or more hours, and they need someone who can communicate immediately what is unacceptable. Most Chihuahuas are picked to be placed in a purse or bag and coddled like a baby, or over protected because of their size. This is very destructive to the breed, because they don't understand they are small - they also don't need coddling. Train them right, and you won't have a problem.
2) Bully Breeds (Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, Bulldogs, ect)
Everyone knows the media loves to demonize Pit Bulls Terriers and their cousins, blaming the breed instead of the owner. People are starting to realize that Pit Bulls aren't dangerous, but there are a select few that still believe they are incredibly dangerous killing machines. The honest truth with all Bully Breeds is they are not only stubborn and mentally slow, but they are also very unforgiving with training mistakes. If you miss out on behaviour management or communication that something is unacceptable, Bully Breeds tend to think they can ALWAYS get away with something, and often do it the second time with incredible stubbornness. They also need lots of exercise every day, both mental and physical - and only someone who can stay on top of behaviours should own one. That being said, most Bully Breeds are actually very well adjusted, patient, gentle, forgiving breeds that just simply need more guidance and exercise. There has never been a case where a Bully Breed has been at fault for an incident that wasn't directly caused by human lack of experience.
3) German/Belgian Shepherds
Being police dogs, Shepherds are bred to work, perform, and be "on" all the time. Because of this, even the pet lines of Shepherds have this trait. They need all day exercise and training, and on-the-ball owners that don't miss a thing. Most under-trained Shepherds become frustrated, and become aggressive or destructive because of lack of leadership. They do make excellent working dogs, and should be considered as such - not home pups.
4) Boxers
Take the most obnoxious pre-teenage boy you can think of, and put him on a sugar buzz, and there you have the Boxer. These dogs are very high energy, right up there with the Border Collie, and almost as intelligent. Boxers can and will get away with murder if you let them, and they need high intensity exercise and training with hallmark consistency every day. Without perfect leadership, Boxers turn hyper, destructive, crazy, and nippy, and without fast and effective intervention, you could have a serious situation on your hands, especially if your Boxer stops taking you seriously. It is most definitely a breed for those whom have had a few dogs in their life already.
5) Rottweilers
Originally intended as farm workers and guard dogs, Rotties are not for beginners. They do have a high please drive, but they lack intelligence. This makes them great guard dogs, but also very slow to learn, slow to change, and slow to adapt. Their owners must be able to know the "safe" line between guarding behaviour and dominance, and protection drive and aggression. Without the knowledge of that distinction, Rottweilers can become freight trains with no braking system. It takes an expert to bring them back to a safe level again, and it is far easier to prevent these behaviours before they become habits. The Rottweiler is not a beginner's dog.
6) Shih-Tsu
Small, not terribly hyper, and hypo-allergenic, these little mops are a popular choice among families and the retired, because they don't need as much exercise as most little dogs - or so they think. Shih Tsus were bred to be small personal alarm systems in China, during a time when women were not safe alone. Because of this, Shih Tsus have many generations of hyper, alarmist, possessive lines in their blood, and it shows. Shih Tsus are not very smart, stubborn, and usually bond with just one family member, usually becoming distant, ignorant, and aggressive towards anyone else. Shih Tsus often bark at and charge the door, any sound outside of their home, and generally any people that come near their chosen person. Once separate from that person, they become displaced, confused, and sometimes anxious to the point of shutting down. Shih Tsus actually need 2 to 3 hours of exercise every day, and some mental stimulation, but they also need a spot on owner that can communicate that it's alarmist behaviour is unacceptable after a certain point, and what to do with it instead.
7) Poodles and poodle mixes
Poodles are very popular - they can be mixed with everything to produce a curly, waterproof or water resistant coat, to pass on high intelligence, and poise - but with that poise and intelligence comes a double edged sword. Poodles are the third most intelligent dog in the world, but lack the please-drive that the Border Collie (number one) and German Shepherd (number two) have. This means the dog could care less if it is making you happy or not, which presents a common training problem - you have to teach the dog to obey you when it doesn't want to. Often, Poodles know exactly what's expected, and even a perfectly trained specimen can have this happen - but they decide that, nah, I'm not to listen today, I don't want to, and I don't have to. They can switch from taking you seriously to thinking you're useless in half a second. Most Poodles need to be trained with high value rewards instead of praise. They also need a lot of exercise and twice as much mental stimulation, which presents a problem if they're not interested in performing just because their human wants them to. Poodles need constant stellar attentiveness, and an experienced owner that knows how to manipulate a super-intelligent non-please driven breed.
8) Huskies/Malamutes
Sled dogs are growing in popularity south of Northern Canada, and as such, the demand is ever increasing, and back yard breeders are popping up everywhere. This is not only putting a strain on healthy breeding lines, but it's also polluting the genes, and causing massive problems. Many Husky or Malamute lines have a large percentage of wild wolf in them now, and most are not responsibly bred. Huskies and Malamutes are also high-drive performing working breeds that are bred specifically to run all day and pull heavy weight behind them, and when they don't have that job, their exercise needs goes through the roof - as well, behavioural problems arise. With wolf DNA in the vast majority of Huskies and Malamutes, due to the demand of puppies across North America, these dogs are very "raw" - they are wilder than other breeds, and need expert communication on pack mastery. These dogs should remain sled dogs or working dogs, and should never be used as a simple pet dog. They have the need to work right in their blood, and havoc ensues when these needs aren't met.
9) Collies/Heelers
Bred to run and corral animals, Collie and Heeler breeds are high energy, high intelligence working breeds that desperately need to heel and organize things. On top of needing six to twelve hours of high intensity running every day, Collie and Heeler breeds also have an intense desire to heel that has to be fulfilled - either on sheep, or the next best things - cats, children, ankles - anything that might flee from them and squeal. Collie and Heeler breeds shouldn't be kept outside of farms or a place where they can heel, and if they are, they need to have some form of herding outlet - even fetch. These dogs might be easy to train, but behaviour wise, they can go sour very fast if they do not have an outlet to heel.
10) Shelter Dogs
Everyone loves to rescue dogs - that satisfaction you get from helping a dog that has been forgotten or mistreated in some way, but let me caution you - these dogs always come with their own issues, sometimes severe - and because of that, they shouldn't be your first dog. You will need to know how to undo someone else's damage - and because new owners don't always know how to do this, it's far easier to start from a puppy that a responsible breeder has produced - because if you can't repair another human's damage on a dog, that dog might not trust or respect humans ever again.
That's everything for this blog, stay tuned for the next one!
After, we will go over 10 breeds that beginners should not bring in to their homes until they gain more experience - and this goes for all beginners, including trainers that haven't trained them before. These breeds are usually the most problematic for inexperienced owners.
Beginner Breeds
1) Labrador/Golden Retriever
Not surprisingly, the first breed that is great for beginners is the Retriever. These dogs are generally well balanced, forgiving, and gentle, and can tolerate some newbie mistakes without having too many detrimental behaviour problems. That being said, Retrievers can go sour very fast if they are not exercised enough. Retrievers need quite a lot of exercise; some need at least 6 hours of intense, high-level exercise every day, so if you are not an active person, and work most of the day, a Retriever is not the right fit for you.
2) Mastiffs
This addition might surprise you, but most Mastiffs are lazy, slow, and really easy going. They only need a couple hours of exercise every day, and when given a job or some kind of mental exercise, Mastiffs are very easy to manage. They are fine with spending most of the day on the couch with you. They do need more mental exercise than physical, meaning they need to use their minds every day, or they tend to get bored - and bring out behaviours like aggression or destruction to occupy their minds themselves. If you have a bit of a longer work day and prefer to have a dog that can be either active with you or lazy, the Mastiff is a great fit, but if you're not into brain games such as fetch, search, or training your dog to perform tasks, steer clear of the Mastiff.
3) Great Dane
Contrary to popular belief, Great Danes are actually very lazy, low energy dogs that can fit themselves into the space they need to fit in. That isn't to say they don't need exercise, but they need lesser than most large dogs - they can even handle skipping a day. Training wise, they do need a little extra vigilance, however as long as they get a good balance of mental and physical exercise, Great Danes make great pets. If you're the type to have changing shifts and can't always get them outside, this is the dog for you - however, if you can't handle at least 2 hours of walking when you can get out, this isn't a good fit.
4) Greyhound
While famous for how fast they can run, Greyhounds are actually pretty lazy. They love to run, but once they're done, they're done. You can easily tire a Greyhound out in an hour, and spend some time exercising the brain. Overall, Greyhounds are simple to train, and easy to tire out - excellent for those who are retired, or maybe don't work all day. However, Greyhounds don't do too well alone - and someone who works full time shouldn't consider a Greyhound.
5) Cocker Spaniel
These pups are usually very hyper, high energy dogs that very quickly spiral out of control - often becoming unruly. The realty is, Cockers just need to know what is expected of them, and plenty of activities. They suit a family where someone is home to be with them and keep them active, and even an active retired couple, or even a single part-timer. They can be left alone if they're exercised, but watch out - Cockers need three or four hours of activity and mental stimulation, so they aren't great for someone who works all day.
Breeds to Steer Clear of as a Beginner
1) Chihuahua
They might be small and cute, but these dogs have a lot of needs - exercise, mental stimulation, spot-on training, accurate behaviour management, and they're pretty smart - they know exactly what they can get away with. They might be little, but they can get out of control very fast in the hands of someone who can't read and respond to the very fast, minor queues that a dog is exhibiting. Chihuahuas need a moderate amount of exercise, about two hours every morning - but they need many hours of mental stimulation - upwards of four or more hours, and they need someone who can communicate immediately what is unacceptable. Most Chihuahuas are picked to be placed in a purse or bag and coddled like a baby, or over protected because of their size. This is very destructive to the breed, because they don't understand they are small - they also don't need coddling. Train them right, and you won't have a problem.
2) Bully Breeds (Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, Bulldogs, ect)
Everyone knows the media loves to demonize Pit Bulls Terriers and their cousins, blaming the breed instead of the owner. People are starting to realize that Pit Bulls aren't dangerous, but there are a select few that still believe they are incredibly dangerous killing machines. The honest truth with all Bully Breeds is they are not only stubborn and mentally slow, but they are also very unforgiving with training mistakes. If you miss out on behaviour management or communication that something is unacceptable, Bully Breeds tend to think they can ALWAYS get away with something, and often do it the second time with incredible stubbornness. They also need lots of exercise every day, both mental and physical - and only someone who can stay on top of behaviours should own one. That being said, most Bully Breeds are actually very well adjusted, patient, gentle, forgiving breeds that just simply need more guidance and exercise. There has never been a case where a Bully Breed has been at fault for an incident that wasn't directly caused by human lack of experience.
3) German/Belgian Shepherds
Being police dogs, Shepherds are bred to work, perform, and be "on" all the time. Because of this, even the pet lines of Shepherds have this trait. They need all day exercise and training, and on-the-ball owners that don't miss a thing. Most under-trained Shepherds become frustrated, and become aggressive or destructive because of lack of leadership. They do make excellent working dogs, and should be considered as such - not home pups.
4) Boxers
Take the most obnoxious pre-teenage boy you can think of, and put him on a sugar buzz, and there you have the Boxer. These dogs are very high energy, right up there with the Border Collie, and almost as intelligent. Boxers can and will get away with murder if you let them, and they need high intensity exercise and training with hallmark consistency every day. Without perfect leadership, Boxers turn hyper, destructive, crazy, and nippy, and without fast and effective intervention, you could have a serious situation on your hands, especially if your Boxer stops taking you seriously. It is most definitely a breed for those whom have had a few dogs in their life already.
5) Rottweilers
Originally intended as farm workers and guard dogs, Rotties are not for beginners. They do have a high please drive, but they lack intelligence. This makes them great guard dogs, but also very slow to learn, slow to change, and slow to adapt. Their owners must be able to know the "safe" line between guarding behaviour and dominance, and protection drive and aggression. Without the knowledge of that distinction, Rottweilers can become freight trains with no braking system. It takes an expert to bring them back to a safe level again, and it is far easier to prevent these behaviours before they become habits. The Rottweiler is not a beginner's dog.
6) Shih-Tsu
Small, not terribly hyper, and hypo-allergenic, these little mops are a popular choice among families and the retired, because they don't need as much exercise as most little dogs - or so they think. Shih Tsus were bred to be small personal alarm systems in China, during a time when women were not safe alone. Because of this, Shih Tsus have many generations of hyper, alarmist, possessive lines in their blood, and it shows. Shih Tsus are not very smart, stubborn, and usually bond with just one family member, usually becoming distant, ignorant, and aggressive towards anyone else. Shih Tsus often bark at and charge the door, any sound outside of their home, and generally any people that come near their chosen person. Once separate from that person, they become displaced, confused, and sometimes anxious to the point of shutting down. Shih Tsus actually need 2 to 3 hours of exercise every day, and some mental stimulation, but they also need a spot on owner that can communicate that it's alarmist behaviour is unacceptable after a certain point, and what to do with it instead.
7) Poodles and poodle mixes
Poodles are very popular - they can be mixed with everything to produce a curly, waterproof or water resistant coat, to pass on high intelligence, and poise - but with that poise and intelligence comes a double edged sword. Poodles are the third most intelligent dog in the world, but lack the please-drive that the Border Collie (number one) and German Shepherd (number two) have. This means the dog could care less if it is making you happy or not, which presents a common training problem - you have to teach the dog to obey you when it doesn't want to. Often, Poodles know exactly what's expected, and even a perfectly trained specimen can have this happen - but they decide that, nah, I'm not to listen today, I don't want to, and I don't have to. They can switch from taking you seriously to thinking you're useless in half a second. Most Poodles need to be trained with high value rewards instead of praise. They also need a lot of exercise and twice as much mental stimulation, which presents a problem if they're not interested in performing just because their human wants them to. Poodles need constant stellar attentiveness, and an experienced owner that knows how to manipulate a super-intelligent non-please driven breed.
8) Huskies/Malamutes
Sled dogs are growing in popularity south of Northern Canada, and as such, the demand is ever increasing, and back yard breeders are popping up everywhere. This is not only putting a strain on healthy breeding lines, but it's also polluting the genes, and causing massive problems. Many Husky or Malamute lines have a large percentage of wild wolf in them now, and most are not responsibly bred. Huskies and Malamutes are also high-drive performing working breeds that are bred specifically to run all day and pull heavy weight behind them, and when they don't have that job, their exercise needs goes through the roof - as well, behavioural problems arise. With wolf DNA in the vast majority of Huskies and Malamutes, due to the demand of puppies across North America, these dogs are very "raw" - they are wilder than other breeds, and need expert communication on pack mastery. These dogs should remain sled dogs or working dogs, and should never be used as a simple pet dog. They have the need to work right in their blood, and havoc ensues when these needs aren't met.
9) Collies/Heelers
Bred to run and corral animals, Collie and Heeler breeds are high energy, high intelligence working breeds that desperately need to heel and organize things. On top of needing six to twelve hours of high intensity running every day, Collie and Heeler breeds also have an intense desire to heel that has to be fulfilled - either on sheep, or the next best things - cats, children, ankles - anything that might flee from them and squeal. Collie and Heeler breeds shouldn't be kept outside of farms or a place where they can heel, and if they are, they need to have some form of herding outlet - even fetch. These dogs might be easy to train, but behaviour wise, they can go sour very fast if they do not have an outlet to heel.
10) Shelter Dogs
Everyone loves to rescue dogs - that satisfaction you get from helping a dog that has been forgotten or mistreated in some way, but let me caution you - these dogs always come with their own issues, sometimes severe - and because of that, they shouldn't be your first dog. You will need to know how to undo someone else's damage - and because new owners don't always know how to do this, it's far easier to start from a puppy that a responsible breeder has produced - because if you can't repair another human's damage on a dog, that dog might not trust or respect humans ever again.
That's everything for this blog, stay tuned for the next one!
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