New to dog ownership, understand your dog & training tip

_joanne_ · Last edited by _joanne_ on Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:07 am; edited 7 times in total

I have noticed that we have been getting an ever increasing membership from first time puppy owners, which is fantastic. I am compiling the following information for anyone wanting some training tips etc. This information is also great for understanding your dog. None of the information is meant to be construed as a home training course, but if you understand your dog, you will go far.

So here goes and I apologise, as there is quite a bit Confused

The Canine Connection

The trouble with dogs is………….?

Although the modern dog is (and has been for thousands of years) a member of our human society, he is governed by his natural instincts. He is, and always has been, a pack animal. Several of his wilder attributes, however, have been bred out and today’s domestic pet is really a perpetual puppy. He is totally reliant upon us for his survival. We provide his food, warmth, care and attention, and he is part of our family unit (pack).

Man has been associated with dogs for the past 10,000 years, but it is, however, only in recent times that their relationship has changed quite dramatically. Until as recently as the 1950’s a dog was treated like a dog. He had to earn his keep in some way – guarding, herding, ratting, carriage duty, hunting, fishing, ship’s dog, timber hauler and even postman! The household dog was confined to the kitchen where he would either curl up at his master’s feet or stay in his basket. He was fed on leftovers from the family’s meal after everyone had eaten – if he was lucky!

In this modern day, more affluent society, central heating gives open plan living and the family dog can wander freely around the house. There are far more career minded couples than ever before and this has produced a switch from having children and then buying a dog – or often two (usually from the same litter) – and then having children much later on. The dog is often quite unintentionally treated as a child substitute. He is attributed with human feelings and emotions and is given the best that money can buy – “food fit for an athlete” – but insufficient exercise and mental stimulation. Interestingly, the pet food industry is one of the biggest growth industries today! Exercise/mental stimulation consists of being “chauffeured” to the nearest park or forest walks where the dog leaps from the car and then spends the next half hour or hour running around pleasing himself before being “chauffeured” home again (providing he comes when he’s called of course!). Feeling guilty about leaving their dog(s) alone all day (which should never be done), owners overcompensate, lavishing love and attention on the dog as soon as they arrive home. His every whim is pandered to, he is allowed on the furniture and may even sleep on his owner’s bed. The dog soon learns an ever-increasing repertoire of attention seeking behaviour to which his owners respond without realising their dog has now trained his humans to perfection and considers himself to be “leader of the pack”.

Modern living, therefore, has unwittingly increased the dog’s privileges – freedom to roam the house and garden (pleasing himself), access to furniture, being fed before the family, often being fed titbits from the table, freedom on walks – he instinctively believes he holds a high rank in the pack.

If his rank is challenged, because he is perhaps asked to do something he does not wish to do, he may try to defend his rank by completely ignoring and refusing to obey or he may object strongly by growling, showing his teeth (a canine warning) and if pushed further he may even bite (well, he did warn you!). He views children as lower ranking (if not an entirely different species from humans!) and may defend his rank there too with sometimes disastrous consequences.

Alternatively, his perceived status can turn him into an anxious, hyperactive, antisocial, disobedient hooligan or a neurotic nervous wreck.

It is a proven fact that the majority of canine “problem” behaviours are as a direct result of our modern way of life. That “problem” behaviour is, in actual fact, the dog reacting in the only way he knows how. He is not being spiteful or mean or “getting even”. He is doing what dogs do – being a dog!

Dogs cannot understand or cope in our free democracy. Their law of nature, pack mentality and canine culture all mean they must have a dictatorship. They need a leader to be in charge, to protect the pack and their territory and to ensure the future of their pack. They need a hierarchy to ensure harmony within the pack. Owners who lavish attention on tap and on canine demand are not perceived by their dogs as leaders. They are in essence fulfilling the lowest ranking pack members’ job, which is to constantly appease and “pay homage” to the high ranking.

If a dog perceives no obvious leader in his pack (family) then he is duty bound to take on that role – pack safety and survival depend solely upon their being a strong and competent leader.

The domestic dog, however, is far from able and very poorly equipped to play the part of leader within our human society. A whole range of behaviour “problems” can stem from a dog’s perception of himself as being responsible for his pack:

Disobedience: ignoring commands
Leaders don’t take orders! They give them!

Aggression to visitors
He doesn’t want any Tom, Dick or Harry coming onto his territory! Shouting at the dog for his behaviour only confirms his belief that these “strangers” must be warned off!

Aggression to owners
Why should he get off the chair / the bed / come out of the car? – It’s his! Wrinkling his lips, showing teeth and/or growling is the canine equivalent of “I’m warning you!” Prior to that he will have no doubt given you a look that you either failed to notice, or did not interpret. Taking it further is “I told you to stop that!!” Snap!

Hyperactivity
This normally indicates a high state of anxiety, showing the dog is unable to cope with his responsibilities. It can present as hooligan and “terrorist” activities!

Separation Anxiety: destruction, barking, self mutilation, soiling
When owners go out to work or go shopping (leave the pack), the dog has no idea where they are going and, indeed, if they will ever return (telling him “mummy won’t be long” means absolutely nothing to him and emotional and fussing departures make matters worse!).

As a “human” comparison, imagine you’re looking after a two year old child. The child disappears out of the front door, you are unable to follow and you have no idea where he is going. How would you feel? Panic!

Many dogs, as a result of their perceived responsibility for the pack (family) are destructive in their owners’ absence (chewing, digging, scratching at doors) or they soil in the house or bark and howl incessantly or even mutilate themselves. Not surprising is it? The majority of destruction happens within the first 30 minutes of the owner leaving home. Chewing is a stress relieving activity and “it’s all chewed toys” to the dog. He can’t discriminate between your best Gucci loafers and his nylabone!

Dogs don’t do “guilty” or “spite”. They do, however, expertly read body language to the tiniest nuance. He’s been frantic with worry and can only read his owner’s body language on finding the scene of destruction. Rowing the dog serves only to further increase anxiety and confusion and, of course, alienates the dog from the owner. A dog cannot connect punishment with something he did two or three hours ago but he can and will associate his owner’s homecoming with unpleasantness – “My owner’s always in a real strop when he/she comes home!” Anxiety is increased even further as the owner’s next homecoming becomes imminent. That look of guilt is the dog’s apprehension and trepidation as a result of his previous experience when his owner arrived home…….and so a vicious spiral of behaviour develops.

Leadership Qualities of the Canine Variety

In canine terms the leader is:
Cool, calm, confident, aloof, in control at all times, doesn’t respond to attention seeking behaviour (i.e. gives the orders – doesn’t take them!), greets visitors first, goes through doors first, eats first, re-establishes himself as leader every time the pack reunites (i.e. coming home from work, shopping etc).

How well trained are you? – Attention Seeking Behaviour

Attention seeking behaviour comes in many forms and dogs very easily build a large repertoire:

He……
Nudges your elbow – and, of course, you pet him.
Puts his head/paws on your knees – and, of course, you pet him.
Stands at the door – and, of course, you get up and open the door for him to go out, then
Barks at the door outside – and, of course, you get up and let him in again.
Barks in your face – and, of course, you can take him out for his 7pm walk.
Brings you a toy – and, of course, you play with him.
Pulls your clothes/licks/paws/jumps up – and, of course, you give him attention.
Paces up and down, whining – he must be bored, so you take him out for a walk.
Begs at the table – he must be hungry, so you give him a tasty bit off your plate.

By responding to attention seeking behaviour, as above, we have effectively done a brilliant job of training the dog to perform all these behaviours. We’ve trained him to jump up, we’ve trained him to beg at the table, we’ve trained him to demand attention, demand playtime, demand a walk etc. After all, we have rewarded him each and every time. But, in reality, he has made an excellent job of training us! Dogs are opportunists – if there’s something in it for him, he’ll do it again! Because his demands are met – he does the demanding (leading!) and we do the attention-giving (following) – he perceives himself to be leader/top dog. Depending on his genetic make-up/internal wiring and whether he was adequately socialised or not as a puppy, determines how he reacts to finding himself as “Chief Executive Officer” of the establishment.

As mentioned previously, he may take on his leadership role in a belligerent way – growling and refusing to get off the furniture when told, not allowing anyone to sit in his seat, growling at visitors, guarding his food, refusing to be groomed (especially his nether regions), demanding attention and becoming bolshy when ignored or asked to do something, lying in doorways and refusing to move, mounting family members and visitors, pulling on the lead, being generally disobedient and totally pleasing himself, etc. It can very easily get to the stage where family and visitors are genuinely frightened of the dog. The dog, meanwhile, on reading these signs, takes his job even more seriously.

More probably, however, the dog displays signs of stress and anxiety because he cannot cope with such an onerous responsibility as that of his “human pack”. All too often, however, we do not recognise these signs as stress or anxiety and many are classed as behaviour problems:

Jumping up, crawling up your legs
Being destructive
House soiling
Howling/barking/whining
Hyperactivity/restlessness – the “chandelier swinger”
Compulsive licking/self mutilation
Pulling on the lead
Total disobedience
Excessive salivation – foaming or dribbling
Persistent yawning
Agitated lip licking
Panting when the dog can neither be too hot nor breathless
Farting
Avoidance by hiding behind or under chairs or tables
Refusing to make eye contact, turning head away
Urination
Sweaty feet
Barking at visitors continuously
Jumping up at visitors, bringing “presents”, refusing to settle

If we can recognise canine stress and deal with it appropriately in canine terms, by establishing our leadership and the hierarchy below us, a dramatic change can be achieved in a very short space of time.

Bossy, bolshy dogs become more agreeable and obedient (they’re no longer CEO, they’ve been demoted to tea-lady!); hyperactive, anxious dogs become calmer, displaying an almost miraculous change of attitude; destructive dogs stop being destructive (somebody else has taken responsibility for the pack!). The independent dog, who quietly and infuriatingly goes about his business totally ignoring and refusing to comply with any commands, starts to pay attention and even begins to do what is requested.

Become a leader, become familiar with canine culture and you and your dog will soon be communicating with ease.

Your promise to your puppy is......

to teach him/her:
....where to toilet
....what to chew
....when to bark
....where to dig (if at all)
....how to greet family, friends, children and strangers
....to inhibit his/her otherwise normal biting behaviour
....to walk calmly on lead
....to thoroughly enjoy the company of other dogs and people

Your puppy's promise to you is.......

TO LOVE, HONOUR AND OBEY UNTIL DEATH DO YOU PART

YOUR PUPPY'S DEVELOPMENTAL DEADLINES

ASSESS your new pup's TEMPERAMENTAL, BEHAVIOURAL AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT so far.....
If socialisation, housetraining and basic education have not yet been addressed by the breeder, at 8 weeks of age it must be started now!!!

Careful mistake-free [/B]HOUSETRAINING......[/B]
Puppy's first week in his new home is the most important development week in his life! Your puppy's future temperament, manners and natural canine behaviour are in your hands NOW He will be a product of his environment It only takes you a few days to ruin your otherwise perfect puppy. It's up to you to teach your puppy your house rules in a way he will understand.

SOCIALISATION......
The "critical period of socialisation" ends at 12 weeks of age and fear response is fully developed by 16 to 18 weeks. Puppies must be socialised to people, especially MEN and CHILDREN before they are 12 weeks old.

BITE INHIBITION......
Puppies are born to be little biting machines - Mother Nature's own design! Teaching your puppy bite inhibition is imperative. Puppies must learn to inhibit the force of their "biting" before they are taught to stop biting and mouthing altogether and before they have large adult teeth in fully developed powerful jaws.

CONTINUING SOCIALISATION.....
Continuing daily socialisation during adolescence and adulthood is the only way to ensure that your well-trained puppy remains friendly and relaxed towards people, children, other animals and other dogs.

Training for Life - Stage 1 - Your New Puppy!

Worming
Your new puppy was last wormed on ..... get this from your breeder

He/she will require worming again 2 weeks from the above date. Worming should be done every 2 weeks until your puppy is 14 weeks old. From 14 weeks to 24 weeks your puppy needs to be wormed every month. From the age of 6 months worming may be done 2 to 3 times per year or more frequently (4 times annually) if you have children in your home. Worming can cause a slight tummy upset but this passes quickly.

Exercise

Your puppy's bones will not be fully developed until he/she is at least 18 months old. Their bones and joints are still soft and growing quickly. DO NOT OVER EXERCISE - 10 minutes per day is perfectly adequate and that time would be best spent on fun training. As soon as puppy has had his/her inoculations use the exercise quota to get them out into the world as much as possible. Meeting up with different animals, adults, children, the postman, the milkman together with socialisation and play with the new family and other puppies are far more important than long walks! OVER EXERCISE can cause Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia and early onset of arthritis - the damage is IRREVERSIBLE

Anal Glands
Dogs have two scent glands, situated on either side of and slightly below the anus. These glands secrete the dog's own personal scent (identification) on to his poos which other dogs can sniff (read). Sometimes these glands become temporarily blocked. If you see your pup scooting his bottom along the ground and/or persistently chewing at his back end, this is an indication that his anal glands are full. It is rarely an indication of worms. This requires veterinary treatment to express the glands and to check if there is any infection. When teething passes, most pups grow out of this problem.

Feeding

Your new puppy needs 3 or 4 meals per day. You will probably be given a pack of his/her present food (if not, ask for a few days' supply from your breeder). A sudden change of food can cause an upset tummy. James Wellbeloved is an excellent mid-price range hypoallergenic food. It contains no "permitted EEC antioxidants or BHA/BHT" preservatives which are banned in human food as they have been proven to cause hyperactivity in some children. Just as not every child is affected by such additives, so not every dog is affected. It is, however, advantageous to be aware that food allergy can cause behaviour and sometimes skin problems in dogs. A complete balanced puppy food is the best diet for your new puppy. Weetabix with cow's milk is NOT advisable - cow's milk is extremely indigestible and can cause diarrhea. Soak a couple of handfuls of the puppy food in warm water to soften it, call your puppy (with three pips of a whistle if you intend using a whistle in training and what better time than feed time!) and put the food down. If not eaten within 10 minutes, remove the remainder and wait until next feed time. If you wish to change the brand of food, do so by mixing the two together over a period of 2 to 3 days.

Chew Training

It is an excellent idea to give at least 2 of your puppy's meals stuffed into rubber Kongs or sterilised bones. The best time to do this is if you have to go out and leave puppy for an hour or two. It teaches your puppy to enjoy being left, the correct items to chew (it's all chew toys to the dog - even your best Gucci loafers!) and to settle down quietly in his den.

TRAINING FOR LIFE

This information is designed specifically to cover the most critical developmental time in your puppy's life. Socialisation and play are the two most important components - ensuring puppies continue learning their social skills to enable them to grow into dogs that are:

Trustworthy with people, children and other animals;
Confident and relaxed with other dogs;
Obedient

Explanation, demonstration and practice of basic obedience training exercises will provide you with the information and skills you need to teach your pup the rules in a way he/she will readily understand and before he/she makes up his/her own! Fun "training for life" homework will lay the essential foundation upon which to build for a lifelong enjoyment of your canine companion, ensuring they:

Learn the correct location to toilet;
Learn what to chew and what not to chew;
Come when called - even from play;
Have polite jaws and paws;
Enjoy being examined, handled and visiting the vet;
Sit, stand, lie down and roll over on command;
Become accustomed to being on lead;
Enjoy being "home alone"

Rest assured, when your puppy reaches 18 to 20 weeks of age which is his/her next developmental stage, your puppy training will stand you in good stead. At this age he/she is a juvenile with rioting hormones and a possible attitude! You now have the equivalent of a teenager on your hands. This can be the most difficult period in your dog's life - you may even catch him "smoking behind the bike sheds", indulging in "underage drinking", certainly chatting up the opposite sex and definitely challenging authority.

Learning to Earn!

Dogs are opportunists. It's part of their basic survival kit, it's how they're "programmed". It's canine culture. What's in it for him? What motivates him? For a dog to do something again it must be rewarding. So what represents "rewarding" in canine terms? LEADERSHIP!!

Food He must eat to survive.
This comprises his daily ration and any other tasty treats (including anything you happen to leave laying around or any old chip bag chucked on the ground or the odd dead rabbit!). Remember he's an opportunist (not a thief!) - survival's the name of the game.

Attention
Verbal praise - "good boy" - the words mean nothing in themselves, it's the tone in which they're delivered!
Touch - petting, stroking (pack interaction). Where you stroke is important as fondling ears, stroking the chest and scratching the root of the tail can be sexually arousing to the dog. The best way of petting is to stroke down over the head, neck and shoulders, which says, in canine lingo, "you're wonderful, BUT I'm the boss". Watch dogs and pups at play - a head leant over the head and neck of the other dog or a paw placed on the shoulder is an assertive gesture.

Play He needs to be a pack member.
a) Family Gathering - Pack Interaction - Bonding.
b) Developing social skills is vital to ensure a socially well integrated, confident and mentally well-adjusted dog. A lack of proper socialisation with other dogs can result in gauche, clumsy and "over-the-top" social signals and land the dog in trouble.
c) Play with family members and visitors is vital to teach the dog "soft mouth", to develop social acceptability on human terms and to prevent over-boisterous behaviour (back to our gauche, clumsy and "over-the-top" social signals!).

Freedom To do what only a dog does best!
a) to run around, sniff and investigate.
b) to chase, let off steam, etc - if he didn't like chasing, he'd never survive in the wild - he'd starve! it's called "prey drive". This we can, and must, control and channel, very effectively to prevent inappropriate chase (bicycles, rabbits, cars, etc) while still giving the dog outlet for his "prey drive"/chase instinct.
c) mark territory - leave his calling card. Both urine and faeces give information on the dog that deposited them - and the higher up the better to obtain maximum publicity and area coverage by scent.

Make use of what your dog finds rewarding not only to train him but also to effectively present yourself as his leader.

He must earn his rewards/wages. The wages/rewards compromise not only the daily food ration but also the praise and affection we give him (pack interaction) and his freedom to play, sniff, run and explore.

What happens if we give him all these rewards on tap with no canine effort required? A human analogy might go like this...... Imagine your children came and asked you for £50. If you dished out the money each and every time, no questions asked, your children would not only learn that you're "a soft touch" they would ask more and more frequently and would eventually turn into demanding, bad mannered, undisciplined monsters. So, if you are going to use titbits as payment/reward for your dog's efforts, they must represent part of his daily ration/wages. Similarly he must do something to earn your praise and affection and his freedom. He must not expect it "on tap".

Do, however, be aware that there are lots of things dogs find rewarding but of which we humans certainly would not approve, e.g chasing rabbits, seeing off the Postman, rolling in cowpats, jumping the garden fence to explore the neighbourhood, chasing deer, cats, cars, bicycles, helping themselves to food off the kitchen worktop/table, etc. You must teach your house rules before they make up their own!

Bite Inhibition - what's that?

HELP!

My new puppy is a monster!
He's a vicious little biting machine!

Great! If your pup is biting and mouthing that's wonderful news! Truly! On the one hand, he's doing exactly what Mother Nature intended he do with those little needles - what was that you said? - on the other bleeding, bruised hand/ankle/calf it's extremely painful! Marvellous!

Your puppy was born with needles for teeth in underdeveloped jaws. If we're talking Labrador then when he's fully-grown with lovely big white teeth in perfectly developed jaws, the power in that jaw (with all those teeth) will be approximately 1000lbs per square inch!!! Now, if he hasn't learnt to control his teeth and jaws by then we may be in serious trouble. Imagine you tread on the dog's tail while he's sleeping (or even when he's not sleeping!) he won't sit up and say "ouch, who trod on my tail? That was rather sore". That's not how dogs do things. Wuuumph! his head will be round like a flash and the difference will be this: if he's been taught bite inhibition (soft mouth to you and me) then all you'll feel is a wet nose; if not................!

Puppies in their litter environment play-fight constantly between trips to the milk bar, sleeping and toileting. If one pup sinks its teeth in just a little too hard, the other pup yelps loudly. Some pups think this is great and will "attack" again with even more gusto - well, what better than a squealer? The recipient will squeal again and move away from his "attacker", refusing to play until a conciliatory gesture has been delivered - a lick on the face or a play bow - the offender. The lesson learnt is that puppies that bite too hard end up playing on their own - and that's the end of the world.

When the pup leaves the litter and comes into his new human pack and domestic environment suddenly the feedback stops or changes. For those who don't speak puppy, the rolled up newspaper or smack on the nose is usually the favoured "punishment". As far as puppy is concerned he's only doing what he's programmed to do and a smack on the nose will certainly not teach him how to have a soft mouth. It will, however, teach him that his new owner is not very nice at all.

By giving feedback in the way nature intended, your new puppy will continue to learn the lesson that began with his brothers and sisters. Firstly home-in on the hardest of the "bites" - "ooooyah! You little monster", pull your hand away, act really hurt. Your pup may react by pulling his ears back a little and frantically licking his lips and/or your hands while making himself look smaller. In puppy talk that's appeasement - OK sucking up! "Ooo sorry Dad/Mum, got it wrong!" If you have a little monster that thinks this is great sport and comes in for a second bite, again yelp loudly, get up and leave the room - "I'm not playing with you any more, you don't play fair!" Wait half a minute or so and then re-enter the room. Quietly call your puppy to you and ask him to sit (they learn this so quickly with a hand signal), take his collar gently and stroke him over his head and neck. "Are we friends again, puppy?" The answer will dictate your next move. Pups hate to be left alone and your pup will no doubt be very pleased to see you, licking your hands and gazing adoringly up at you. If, on the other (bleeding) hand, your pup sees it as another opportunity to perform further surgical procedures on your hands, abruptly leave the room again and repeat the process.

You may be wondering what sort of havoc your new arrival is wreaking while you are outside in the hallway nursing your wounds. There are two alternatives here. Either make sure there are no delightful puppy magnet ornaments, newspapers, magazines, shoes lying around OR you may use your puppy's houseden for "timeout". This must be done very carefully. The houseden is your puppy's safe zone and he must never be punished in it. It does serve, however, as a very useful place to "cool his jets". If you really feel unable to walk out to "sulk" in the hallway, leaving your puppy to his own devices, the SILENTLY and GENTLY take him by his collar and deposit him in his crate. Leave the room, waiting a few minutes before coming back in and releasing your pup from his den to be called to you - for reconciliation?

Do remember puppies need a tremendous amount of sleep. Over-tired, over-excited puppies (children too) can be obnoxious. Do make sure pup has a good amount of rest and try to avoid over-excitement.

Your puppy isn't mouthing? That's bad news. How is he ever going to learn? Examine your puppy several times daily - "this little piggy went to market", "my, what big teeth you have", "incey wincey spider climbed up the puppy's leg/tail/chest/bottom" and other such delightful nonsense. Get your hands in your puppy's mouth, encourage him to chomp and give feedback when it hurts.

Even adult dogs need to have their mouth control checked regularly. "Open wide - let mummy see yoos lickle ickle toothie pegs".

LEAVE IT - TAKE IT

This command is aimed at dissuading your dog from becoming interested in or even eating "the dead, the dying, the decaying". It can help dissuade him from "over-interest" in cats, rabbits, other dogs, birds etc.

Puppies, like babies, naturally explore with their mouths chewing up all sorts of odd things - socks, computer "mice", etc so we can avoid hefty vet's fees and worry by employing this simple but effective command. It has a myriad of uses in later training and is well worth the effort. The first thing this exercise achieves is your dog's attention without which we have nothing to work with. It also delivers the message "this is my food until I say that you can have it". Remember - the greatest tool for training is reward and praise. If your pupil finds certain behaviour rewarding he is more likely to repeat that behaviour - whatever it may be! - and that can include chasing the cat, the postman, diving into cowpats etc!

Although the mechanics of this training command are initially taught as a trick it is actually a means to an end. Dogs don't speak English and so must be given the opportunity to work out what behaviour is required to get the titbit/reward and to associate it with the command words. Quite a feat when you consider the implications! We're talking inter-species communication here! A dog's main way of communicating is through body language where a human's is vocal.

Avoid using the "leave it" command in "the real world" until the "trick" is thoroughly learned. If you have children they can also take part in teaching, "leave it" and "Fido" will be less likely to pinch biscuits or crisps from little hands.

To begin.....Step 1
Have a titbit in your closed fist. Crouch down beside your puppy and offer him your closed fist, repeating quietly and gently "leave it". Of course, he has no idea what you are saying (after all, he doesn't speak English, does he?) but he will smell food in your hand.

You may well receive a virtual manicure before he gives up trying to prose the food from your hand. He will offer all sorts of behaviour in his attempts to get the food. The second he looks away open your hand and give him the titbit saying "take it".

Repeat this several times daily for a few days and the pup will very quickly learn that if he does not try to take the food when you tell him to "Leave it" (the command) he will be given the titbit - "take it (the reward). He will associate the words with the behaviour.

and next - Step 2
The next stage in this exercise is to slowly open the fingers of your fist to reveal the titbit, still repeating, "leave it". Should your pupil try to take the titbit, quickly close your fingers into a fist again. Don't snatch your hand away as this will only encourage him to jump up in an attempt to reach the food. Try again and as soon as you are able to open your fingers and the makes no attempt to snatch the titbit, give him the morsel and say "take it". Repeat this stage for several days until you can extend the length of time the titbit can sit on your open hand.

and finally....Step 3: READ THIS STEP CAREFULLY!
Now try taking the titbit from your closed hand to your open hand and on to the floor. As soon as you can manage to put the food on the floor "leave it" and your dog does not try to snatch it, pick it upand give it to him, "take it". If your pupil does manage to grab a titbit, say nothing, it really doesn't matter at this stage in our game. Just go back a stage and try again. Once you have achieved success with "leave it" placing the food on the floor, try throwing a titbit down, rolling it along the floor. This is a good test and is also the beginning of controlling the "chase instinct". YOU MUST ALWAYS PICK UP THE TITBIT AND GIVE THE REWARD FROM YOUR OWN HAND. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR DOG TO GO FORWARD TO PICK THE MORSEL FROM THE FLOOR.

and now into "the real world"......
You are now ready to use the command in real life situations. Pups love rabbit droppings - "leave it" - cow pats - "leave it", horse poo, dead rabbits, running rabbits, cats etc. Because the pup is still very much on a learning curve he must always receive his reward "take it". There are a thousand uses for this command but it's a good idea to set up your own situations to "proof" what you and your pup have learned - e.g. roll a tennis ball along the ground (simulates a rabbit scudding along the ground), throw it in the air - build up the excitement gradually and always give and say the reward "take it". Once the "leave it", "take it" behaviour is well established, you can start to limit the titbit "take it" to only the best and fastest response so your pupil knows he has to do his best for you always.

GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER ALWAYS BE CONSISTENT

"5 Minute Rule"

Coming in from work, school, hanging out the washing, first thing in the morning. going to the loo (yes, you can manage on your own!) - any time you and your dog have been separated! Re-establish leadership and prevent over excitement and jumping up!

From the dog's viewpoint.......
Gathering of the pack (which happens a bewildering number of times in a day with members of the human pack coming and going) is cause for great celebration, greeting and welcoming rituals BUT (most importantly) it is also time when leadership is re-established. The leader is always calm, cool and aloof - gives orders, doesn't take them - and certainly doesn't pay homage to (greet effusively) those in the lower ranks.

From the human viewpoint......
You've been out and want to make a great fuss of your dog when you come home. The children have been at school all day and want immediately to play with their dog who is understandably excited to see everyone. He jumps up in great excitement and is stroked and petted. You have effectively trained your dog to jump up and get excited when anyone comes through the door! You are also "paying homage" to your four footed friend which is not what leaders do!

So........."The 5 Minute Rule" applies:
When the pack reunites (you come home from school, shopping, work, going to the loo, etc) you ignore the dog completely. This means not looking at, speaking to or in any way interacting with the dog. Turn away, avoid eye contact. Because there is no reward for the dog, he will eventually give up trying to get your attention, at which point you can call him quietly and stroke him over his head, neck and shoulders. This should present you with a much calmer dog with all four feet on the ground. If he jumps up, turn away and ignore and try again. If your canine chum insists on swinging off the chandeliers, silently leave the room, wait till all is quiet and begin to enter the room again. Any action replay should be met with your retreat from the room (a sort of reverse "Doorways"). You will ultimately be able to enter the room and meet a quiet dog who has learned what behaviour is required to get you to come in!

This exercise re-establishes you as leader and teaches your dog not to jump up at everyone who happens to come through the door.

Remember, visitors should be asked to ignore your dog until peace reigns. You, the leader, greets visitors first, not the dog!

WHO EATS FIRST?

In pack culture one the codes of conduct is that leaders eat first, having the choice of the tastiest and best bits of food. Any of the lower ranking members daring to venture near are aggressively warned off until the leaders have had their fill.

Some dogs appear to be fussy eaters. Their owners become concerned and produce ever more tasty food in an effort to "tempt" their pooch. The end result is that the dog has effectively trained to owners to "Cordon Bleu" standards! The dog that goes back and fore to "graze" from his dish during the day perceives no threat. No one is going to eat his food or take his food away. This does not necessarily mean that the dog is "dominant", but putting into practice "who eats first" can dramatically affect other behaviour and the dog's general attitude to his owners.

More rarely a dog will walk round and round his food while showing a reluctance to approach to eat, even to the stage of anorexia. This is the reverse of our "grazing" dog - this dog is seeking permission to eat. He needs his leader to eat first before he can take his own share.

The principle of "leader eats first" can be established in a simple routine which conveys a very subtle but powerful message to our canine companions.

Divide your dog's food ration into 2 meals daily (obviously more 3 or 4 if a puppy). Ensure your dog watches you prepare his food. It may be as simple as measuring the complete meal into his bowl on the draining board. Get yourself a biscuit and without looking at the dog, stand and eat it. When finished, place the dog's food bowl on the floor giving permission to eat by saying the dog's name. If he has not eaten all or any of his food within 10 minutes, remove the dish. Do not give the dog anything else until the next feed time when you repeat the above steps. Within 3 days your dog should be eating all his food. If he is leaving some food in his bowl look closely at his waistline - are you giving him too much? For older puppies and dogs, perhaps he eats better at night than in the morning, so divide his daily ration into 1/3 and 2/3. Give him 1/3 in the in the morning and 2/3 in the evening.

Maximise training with 'Earn to Eat'

To capitalise on feed times, use them to maximise training. Repeat the steps outlined above for "Who Eats First" but instead of feeding the whole ration, put the bowl down with 1 or 2 pieces of food in it. The dog will wolf them down and then look at you with an expression of extreme puzzlement. Pick up the bowl, ask for a "come", "sit", "lie down", "sit", drop a handful in the bowl and put it down. Repeat a variety of obedience commands for each handful of food put in the bowl. That gives you two training sessions daily and also prevents food bowl protection.

Doorways, Gateways, CARS
Barging through doorways, barging in and out of the car - SAFETY!!

Barging through doorways can seem rewarding to the young pup. Going out to the garden to empty his bladder or to play or go for a walk represents the reward. Again however, it is not acceptable behaviour and indeed can be dangerous. He may charge out of the door one day and either cause an accident or be run over by a car. In some cases it can represent dominance in that the dog feels that he has the right to go through the door/gate/narrow opening first. There will however, be other very obvious behaviour that indicates dominance and this may require the advice of a professional trainer/behaviourist.

raining for doorways applies to the car as well as the house and the garden; in fact, any narrow opening. Start, say, at the kitchen door. With the pup beside you slowly start to open the door. If he moves forward to go through, quickly but carefully shut the door again. Slowly open the door a short way once again and repeat this until the pup realises that if he moves the door will close. Do be careful of "noses and toeses" and during the whole procedure say nothing until you are in a position to step through the doorway then call his name.

Doors in cars are equally, if not more important than doorways and gates. Imagine parking in town and opening the car door. Your dog leaps out into oncoming traffic and causes an accident whilst possibly injuring or killing himself. You can be sued by injured parties - so beware! We can minimise the risk by training our dog not to come out of the car until told. The routine is the same as for house doorways and garden gates. With the dog in the car, slowly start to open the door. If he moves forward to get out, quickly but carefully close the door. After several repetitions of this your trainee will realise, as in the house, that the door will only open if he stays put. Again say absolutely nothing - if he works it out for himself the lesson will be more firmly established and more thoroughly learnt. Quietly put on his lead and wait again before saying his name to bring him to you. Once he has learned to sit upon command, add this to the exercise so that he comes out of the car and sits, goes through doorways and sits. This gives you a chance to lock the car, gather the shopping, etc.

STOP PRESS!!

If you are travelling at 30mph with your dog unrestrained in the back of your car and you have to execute an emergency stop, he may well hit the back of your head/your child's head at 60mph - THAT WILL BREAK YOUR/YOUR CHILD'S NECK!!!

Did you know..........it is now the law that your dog must be restrained in your car - behind a dog guard, in a car cage or in a safety harness and seatbelt.

Dog guards can be expensive if bought for your own particular make and model of car while other are not very substantial and can be "pawed" down easily. Car cages can double up as housedens depending on your vehicle, which is very useful when you want to go on holiday and can also prevent the young dog chewing the car interior!! A harness and specially made seatbelt attachment is the cheapest way of securing your dog.

TOYS

All dogs love to play. Some dogs love playing with toys and love their owner to join in their fun. Many will bring a toy to their owner in an effort to get them to play. Remember, however, in that small gesture your dog is giving you an order - "play with me now!"

To maintain your position at the head of the pack, it's a good idea to have certain rules and regulations about toys and play time. Also, if your dog has lots of toys that are left lying around all the time, those toys lose their value - they're there all the time, so what's new?

Put all the toys away except 1 or 2. Exchange those every day for others from the hidden selection. Choose one particular toy that your dog really loves and put it away in a drawer or cupboard. This is now your toy. The other toys do not interest you and you want nothing to do with them. When you want to play you take out your toy and you say when play starts, you say when play is interrupted and you say when play finishes and your toy is put away for another time. You'll be surprised how focused your dog becomes on you.

So, for example, let's say your dog's favourite toy is a ball (not a tennis ball, please, they are so dangerous and can become lodged in your dog's throat). The ball is your ball and you take it out and say to your dog "come on let's play!". In the middle of the play session put your dog on a sit or a down and count to 10 or 20 and then reward for that lovely sit-stay or down-stay is recommencing the game. Interrupt and restart the game several times and end it before your dog starts to tire. Leave them wanting more!

TUG OF WAR
"Control the Game - Control the Dog"

Many owners are reluctant to play tug of war with their dog - "it can make the dog dominant" they've been told by "those in the know"! In wild life programmes featuring wolves killing a large prey animal, you're watching the pack working as a team. Several of the pack grab hold of the animal - by the tail, by the nose, by the hamstrings - and they're all pulling like mad! Rank and hierarchy at this point don't play a part. The lowest ranking member can be the fleetest hunter!

Competitiveness and pecking order issues can manifest themselves in tug of war BUT if the GROUND RULES are thoroughly taught and understood before taking part in "the kill" and thereafter consistently adhered to, it is an extremely enjoyable and bonding experience for both dog and owner.

The following commands apply to ONE TUG OF WAR OBJECT ONLY

The dog must NOT think he can play tug of war with anything other than his (your) rugger and ONLY upon command.

1. The dog lets go on command (object exchange).

a) Quietly show/wiggle the rugger in front of the dog, saying "kill it" or "get it" (whatever commands you decide on, stick to them). If he takes it in his mouth, that's fine. If he just sniffs it, that's fine too. Produce a really tasty titbit and wiggle it at his nose, say "dead" or "give" as the release command, take the rugger behind your back and immediately give the food reward. Repeat dozens of times. Show the rugger - "kill it", produce the titbit - "dead", remove the rugger, give the titbit.

b) Progress to showing the rugger, "kill it", "dead", remove rugger, and only then bring out the titbit from your bumbag or pocket and give it.

c) The show the rugger, "dead" - the dog must not try to take the rugger. If he does, end the game and remove the rugger out of sight. If he does not take the rugger when you give the command "dead" (the release command), immediately give a titbit. Practice with as much variety as possible.

2. The dog must not take or re-take the rugger unless the word "kill it" is used.

If the dog tried to grab the rugger, end the game and/or do some obedience work, e.g. heelwork with sits and turns etc. Start again.

3. Zero Tolerance of accidents.

If the dog catches your hand with his mouth, yelp loudly (even if it didn't hurt!) and abruptly end the game. Dogs can control their "armoury" to the slightest nuance. This teaches the dog to be careful and to have the often spoken about "soft mouth".

Dogs that are reluctant tug of war players can be easily persuaded to act like a dog. Even showing the slightest interest can be progressively rewarded and built upon.

THE PESTERING POOCH

1. The Family Fusser

Is your dog a pest at times?

You've walked him, he's peed, pooed and has had a game in the garden. You've just settled down to read the newspaper or to relax watching a favourite TV programme. In comes the dog - nudge, shove. "Go away", you say. He can't need out - he's just been! Nudge, shove, nudge, shove. If you give in, you have just obeyed your dog's orders - "I want attention and I want it now!" You may try ignoring him but if you have acceded to his demands in the past, he will persist with surprising tenacity. Nudge, shove, nudge, shove, paw, bark, you get a toy dumped on your lap, nudge, whine, paw, bark and so it continues. Your newspaper is now in shreds and you've missed half, if not all, of your TV programme. Help!

Without saying anything, take your dog quietly and firmly by the collar and remove him to another room. You are teaching him that such annoying and persistent behaviour earns isolation from his pack (not attention).

Putting him in the garden is self-defeating: he can run around and have a wonderful time and play with next-door's cat, dig up the flowerbeds, etc and will, no doubt at some point, look in the window at you with his tongue sticking out!

It's so important not to speak to him as this in itself is giving him attention. Wait 3 to 4 minutes or until he has been quiet for several minutes then silently readmit him. If he swings into action again, repeat the process. Isolation from the pack is one of the most potent punishments you can give a dog - it's something he will understand and from which he will learn. A rolled up newspaper over the bottom only serves to make him frightened of his owner - and newspapers too probably - and certainly does not teach him to enjoy lying quietly while you read the paper/watch television.

There is another way of dealing with your pestering pet, especially if he's a door digger or scratcher and you would like to preserve your paintwork - you don't even need to get off your seat! As he prances past your chair, take hold of his collar firmly and sharply say "No" or another constructive reprimand - it doesn't matter what you say, it's the tone of voice that delivers the message that you are not amused. Keep a firm grip on the collar until your dog begins to relax. He will probably eventually lie down whereupon you can praise him quietly, then slowly release the collar. If he makes a move, quickly take the collar and repeat.

2. The Visitor Villan

Friends or visitors have just arrived. In comes Fido to check them out, pushing in with his wet nose, jumping up and generally barging around. Alternatively, he may have met them at the door and been greeted by the visitors before they've even greeted you! (just who runs the show around here?) The dog is delighted with his audience who first pet him then ignore him in the hope that he might just give up bouncing all over them. But Fido is very persistent and continues his assault with dogged determination: no amount of "Get off! Get down!" has the slightest effect. Eventually he is banished from the room - till the next time the doorbell rings!

There are various ways of dealing with the persistent pestering pooch, one of which, of course, is to isolate him when visitors arrive, in which case he'll never learn and may well become destructive.

The ideal way to train your dog to be consistently well mannered when visitors arrive is firstly to ensure he is well mannered when you and your family come in. (If you make a great fuss and allow your dog to jump up, you are effectively training him to jump up at anyone who comes through the door.) Then over a period of 2 days and with the help of friends and family, set up a busy schedule of well-primed visitors. Some cakes and coffee or even a glass of wine will reward their efforts while you will be rewarding your dog for his good behaviour. Provided consistency on your part is maintained, by swamping your dog with consistent repetitions and reward of the correct behaviour when visitors arrive, a lasting effect should be achieved.

Method 1
When visitors arrive they (and you) should ignore your dog completely, turning away, avoiding eye contact with him and generally pretending he is not there. After 3 to 5 minutes if the behaviour shows no sign of diminishing, remove the dog gently by the collar to the kitchen or another room. Remember not to speak to him. You are essentially isolating him from the pack and denying him the opportunity to check out the visitors on your territory. Wait a few minutes or until he is quiet, the SILENTLY readmit him. Everyone must continue to ignore him. If he starts his repertoire again, repeat the above and continue to do so until he learns that he will be banished for bothering, put out for pestering and isolated for insolence. Your dog will learn that calm controlled behaviour earns him pack interaction. In other words when he is calm, he may well be in with a chance of being called over (given an order) and petted - quite the reverse to his previous bouncing demands for attention.

Preferred Method 2
There is a more controlled way of dealing with the visitor villan. When visitors arrive, quickly put your dog in another room, reward him and close the door. Welcome and settle your friends, requesting that they ignore (have no eye contact with) your dog when he (eventually) makes it into the room. Put on his lead - make sure you have some treats in your pocket - and proceed slowly to where your friends are settled. He will, no doubt, charge ahead, at which point, SAYING NOTHING, abruptly go into reverse. Ask him to sit and give a food reward. Make sure your guests have plently wine/coffee/cakes - this may take some time! Move forward again and ask him to sit and give a reward. If he tried to drag you forward, reverse again and repeat the whole procedure until you are actually in the room with your visitors. Ask your dog to sit at your side while you stand chatting quietly, intermittently praising the dog softly before attempting to reach your seat with your dog still on the lead.

This method is by far the best way as the whole situation (visitors included unless they've drunk all the wine!) is under control and your dog learns that calm dogs not only get to come in to see the visitors but are given tasty treats too.

See Post on Page 4 for Walking the Dog.

blackeagle · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:12 pm Post subject:

removed

Carley · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:13 pm Post subject:

Wow Jo, you've been busy! What a great post. thumbup

_joanne_ · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject: