What you put in you get out
As a dog trainer clients come to you when they are reaching
wits end with their pups less desirable behaviors or they know that their dogs
require more than they know how to give. If I could give any advice on the
struggle to achieve a well-behaved dog, it would be this.
“Be more than your excuses” This quote a friend said to me
and now inspires many aspects of my life. It transmits well into beginning a
good relationship with your dog. The philosophy itself is simple, we must spend
time with our pets.
Its easy to get home at the end of a long day and feel to
tired to walk the dog, or to busy with the kids, to much studying to do or, or,
or. Pop them on a cable lead and toss them out back. they pee and poop and
basic needs are temporarily met. While this action relieves their bodily
functions, it does not meet the rest of their needs.
The thing that I tell my clients is, you get what you put in
with your dog. If you want an obedient, well behaved, calm, enjoyable dog its
up to you and your dedication, consistency and tenacity.
Many behavior issues that arise in dog’s stem from boredom.
Boredom feeds obsession, cabin fever, a build up of energy, not knowing what to
do with themselves, or what’s expected of them, frustration or looking for
something to play with and becoming destructive.
All this said, I am not a perfect dog owner myself, as a dog
trainer, I should have an excellently trained, obedient and responsive dog,
right? Sometimes this is the case, my dog can be wonderful and most often is,
but when life gets busy, I allow my excuses (work load, social life ect) to get
in the way of the time she needs from me. In these moments, it is not her
behavior that is the problem, it is mine. This is what I see in many clients,
when we first meet.
Dogs need to be walked, they need social interaction with
you and with your friends, and other dogs. They need boundaries to be taught to
them and maintained constantly; in the home, at the park, on leash and with
people. Dogs need to have fun, feel affection and leadership from their owners.
Without this they will become bored, and they will act out accordingly.
Communication:
Good communication is built through observation, and time
spent with your dog. Just like a poker game where you watch for tells, dogs
body language has tells about how they are feeling or interpreting their
surroundings. Their ear direction and tilt, tail height, wag speed, level of
eye contact, head position, hair along the spine and paw motions all communicate
a great deal more than when they choose to bark or growl. Like sign language
our dogs are always speaking to us. The more time we spend with them, the
easier it is to see these signs.
[ As I type this my dog lies next to me on the couch gnawing
on her own leg. This is an unusual behavior for her, and one indicating
anxiety… First, she and the other dog here didn’t have a long enough walk
today, I’m house sitting and she’s anxious because the other dog in the house
has no social cueing from a lack of socialization and won’t stop pestering her
to play even though she has indicated over and over again she wants a break. She’s
restless and anxious. I could take them for a walk… although I’ll never get my
blog written. Excuse #1. I could tell
her no, and to stop… but her issue isn’t her leg… its that I’ve consistently gotten
after her for acting dominant and aggressive to this dog when it behaves this
way and as much as she wants to attack it, she knows she has to be good, fighting
the urge is causing her anxiety.
Pausing from my blog writing I intervene and draw the
younger dog away, make it go lay down, relax… it takes 7-8 tries before it
settles on the floor by my feet but persistence yields result. I reassure my
dog by gently and calmly stroking her head…message received and response
returned. The gnawing stops. ]
Often without our realization we are communicating with them
as well. Our energy, breathing, stance, position of our bodies in alignment to
theirs, hands and eyes all are sending messages to our dogs.
1.
First and fore most, breath. A long, deep,
slowly exhaled breath calms us when our pets are acting up and transmits a
reassurance to our dog that everything is ok on our side. It also makes us check in with ourselves to
measure our reaction appropriately to the situation (yelling at your dog is
ineffective and counterproductive most times. If I’d have yelled at mine or the
pup the anxiety would heighten not lessen, neither dog would have had their
needs met or lesson learned and quite possibly my dog would have given up and
attacked the other out of frustrations.)
2.
Assess, read the situation.
(Gnawing = anxious/restless – what’s causing the
anxiety? How can it be addressed? )
3.
Correct misbehavior. Intervene and spend a
moment setting boundaries.
(In this case, it wasn’t my dog, it was a
younger dog that is lacking social cueing coming from my dog. I’ve asked repeatedly
that my dog not attack this dog. She’s anxious because she’s trying to behave
but wants the other dog to stop. The other dog needs training and boundaries
taught to it)
4.
Reassure or praise
(once everything was settled and both dogs
acting desirable everyone received praise)
5. Move on. Dog live in moments much like children.
Once they pass so does the behavior.
Building trust:
Building trust takes time. Consistency, clear expression of
expectations, set boundaries and praise as well as having fun with your dog.
This will go a long way in building their obedience. A happy, secure dog won’t
want to leave you and won’t be afraid to return to you when you call it.
Just like how people have imprints from their childhood
experiences with adults, dogs remember how they felt during activities with us,
such as returning to the truck at the end of a walk, coming back to be clipped
onto a lead, giving up a toy, eating food, being near children. It all builds
up in their neural pathways and sets a predictive path for their expectations
during future interactions.
No matter what, praise for correct behavior must be the
dominant message sent to your dog.
[ Nili, my dog, began avoiding the truck at all costs at the
end of a hike. Not because she had been treated badly or punished, but because
she had enjoyed the land and freedom of the off leash hike she didn’t want it
to be over. Didn’t want to be confined to her leash and the apartment. Getting angry at her would teach her that
returning to the truck was even more negative than the end of a walk. A clever
friend that had the most difficulty with her when house sitting resorted to saving
rib bones to lure her back in. The concept here that worked is that her
compliance was always met with praise and reward (she got the rib bone when she
got in the truck). To this day, no matter how long it takes for her to get back
in the truck, she gets a treat, a squeaky toy or her tennis ball (which she’s
obsessed with). These days, the command “Nili Truck” has her excited to get
back inside. And most of the time she’s eagerly waiting at the driver’s side
door. But it took a year to get this result, and consistent reward.]
Trust with our dogs opens doors for success during unexpected
moments of Injury, fear, aggression or stress. Where a healthy trust is
established a dog will feel secure in your hands and trust you to help them
through it.
Obedience:
Obedience comes down to consistent reinforcement of
expectations and praise.
For example,
Teaching sit: Sit before a meal, sit to put on your leash,
sit before and while the door is opened on the way out for a walk, sit
throughout the walk and sit when the leash comes off and stay in a sit until
released by a command. Eventually you say the dogs name and “ssss” in sit and
they are already sitting before the command is finished.
If a dog resists the command, you must continue to ask it
until it is met. This goes for any command. Dogs are intelligent, and
determined. Many will test boundaries and test to see how serious you are. If
you give a command and expect the dog to listen, you must always be prepared to
follow through on your expectation. You don’t have to yell, get angry or become
harsh. You do need to out stubborn the stubborn dog though. If you cave, and
allow them not to listen to you it sends a message that it is not actually
necessary to follow that command when given and potentially others later. Always
praise once a command is followed by your dog. Regardless of the length of time
and level of frustration you may feel, your dog is working to please you.
Praise encourages future follow through and lets your dog know that they did
what you want and you appreciated it.
Time:
Owning a dog Is a responsibility. They are not accessories.
Dogs require walks, exercise and mental stimulation just as much as food,
vaccinations and bathroom breaks.
A dog that spends its life on a line, or in a home with no exposure
to strangers, children or other dogs will miss out on the necessary social
cueing and confidence needed for when they do encounter others. Not to mention
their mental well being.
Social behavior is not innate, it is taught. The most ideal
time to teach this is from the puppy stage and into maturity. When initiating
socializing and exposure of rescued adult dogs, its important to seek
professional assessment and guidance to prevent injury or further trauma. We
don’t always have the previous life history or potential traumas rescue dogs
have previously experienced. A professional that is trained to assess dog
behavior, can determine triggers and needs of a rescue dog and give advice on
how to best build trust and begin training.
Most importantly, every day, multiple times a day, your dog
should leave your home, and move, run, smell and play.
As dog owners, it is our responsibility to ensure that we be
more than our excuses and provide rich, safe, communicative and fulfilling
environment for our pets. If we are not willing to do this, we cannot expect
our dog to behave as we desire.
There is always more to learn. More to know and more to
understand. If you are struggling with an unwanted behavior from your dog, seek
professional help, do research and observe your dog. There are always solutions
to get us to a best relationship with our dogs. What we put in is what we will
get out of and we must be more than our excuses. Our dogs are counting on us. 
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