Do you need to dominate your dog?

Too many people believe you must dominate or be the Alpha dog in the home to co-exist happily with their companion pet.  You may have heard that in order to prevent your dog from becoming dominant that you had to: 1) always go through doorways first, 2) always eat before your dog, 3) never allow the dog on furniture where they might be elevated above you, 4) never allow the dog to sleep on your bed, 5) always punish your dog for stealing or chewing things that belong to you, 6) push your dog away when they jump up or paw at you, and 7) never let your dog walk in front of you.  You may think that you have to be ever vigilant and that you have to do whatever it takes to show your dog that you are the boss in order to prevent him from taking over your home and becoming disobedient and even possibly aggressive.  

I believe it is important to build a trusting relationship with our pets while helping them understand that when they comply, we make life really good for them, including helping them feel safe.  If a dog is successful in a behavior, it will be repeated, not because it is dominant but because it has learned the behavior is rewarding.  So it is important to establish a clear understanding in the dogs mind how to live in a humans world.  Not by dominating, scaring, or threatening, but by helping them cope with the humans and environment they live in.


I believe a lot of smart dogs learn to train their owners, again, not because they are dominating them but because we the humans Spoil them!!  I also believe it is never too late to improve the relationship with your pet by rewarding good behavior,  and therefore reinforcing good habits!


For more Positive Reinforcement tips, check out Canine Behavior Counseling on Facebook!

Do you need to dominate your dog?

Too many people believe you must dominate or be the Alpha dog in the home to co-exist happily with their companion pet.  You may have heard that in order to prevent your dog from becoming dominant that you had to: 1) always go through doorways first, 2) always eat before your dog, 3) never allow the dog on furniture where they might be elevated above you, 4) never allow the dog to sleep on your bed, 5) always punish your dog for stealing or chewing things that belong to you, 6) push your dog away when they jump up or paw at you, and 7) never let your dog walk in front of you.  You may think that you have to be ever vigilant and that you have to do whatever it takes to show your dog that you are the boss in order to prevent him from taking over your home and becoming disobedient and even possibly aggressive.  

I believe it is important to build a trusting relationship with our pets while helping them understand that when they comply, we make life really good for them, including helping them feel safe.  If a dog is successful in a behavior, it will be repeated, not because it is dominant but because it has learned the behavior is rewarding.  So it is important to establish a clear understanding in the dogs mind how to live in a humans world.  Not by dominating, scaring, or threatening, but by helping them cope with the humans and environment they live in.


I believe a lot of smart dogs learn to train their owners, again, not because they are dominating them but because we the humans Spoil them!!  I also believe it is never too late to improve the relationship with your pet by rewarding good behavior,  and therefore reinforcing good habits!


For more Positive Reinforcement tips, check out Canine Behavior Counseling on Facebook!

Separation Anxiety or Distress....which is it?

Because not all dogs that are left alone experience  

anxiety, animal behaviorists are beginning to use other terms  
including separation behaviors.

Separation Distress
Distress is simply an animal's inability to adapt to stress (or the  conditions that are causing stress). In humans or animals, the result  of distress is often demonstrated by poor coping skills that include inappropriate  
urinating or defecating (toilet-trained children who are experiencing  distress might wet the bed or wet their pants), making noise (dogs bark and whine while distressed children might cry), and destruction  or aggression.

In many situations, separation distress is a more accurate term than  
separation anxiety.  Some owners have even called their pups behavior Separation Fun. They can learn that when their owner is gone, they can counter surf, sleep on their owners bed, lounge on the couch, dig in the trash, relieve their bladder without anyone yelling at them.

Separation Behaviors
Some owners return home to discover toilet paper has been dragged from  
the bathroom all through the house and underwear is now strewn about  
the living room. A tornado went through the house? No, the dog was at  
it again. 
The idea that some dogs get bored and start a party when their owners  
are gone is controversial. What we do know is that something happens, as  
toilet paper is all around the house, shoes are chewed, and perhaps the  
dog urinated on the bed. These occurrences can all be accurately  
referred to as separation behaviors.


So before you implement a major training program, perhaps you should
determine if your dog is truly anxious or simply bored.  What we do know is that
punishment often creates more bad behaviors.


Helping dogs cope while being left alone is a process, but one that will save your
furniture and earn you freedom for the life of your dog!

Will your puppy be well balanced?

Overprotecting your puppy from the world may very well back fire on you.  While more and more Puppy owners are learning the importance of early Socialization, I wonder if they understand the critical importance.

I work with many aggressive dogs and nearly all of them have a lack of coping skills.  In Puppy Socialization Classes we allow our pups to explore many different sights, sounds, surfaces and different play styles with a variety of other puppies.  It is critical that our young pups learn to Rebound, from scary situations.  It is ok for your pup to bite another puppy too hard and get a reprimand from that pup.  It is critically important for your pup to understand that situations may be scary or even uncomfortable, but 1. they are temporary and 2. that he can control the consequences with good choices.

UCLA Psychiatrist Paul Bohn makes the same case for raising a well balanced child.  He states that if a young boy falls and scrapes his knees while in a race, it is important for the child to be able to pick himself up, understand what happened and know that the pain and discomfort is temporary. The frustration and disappointment of losing the race will help him recover from discomfort and disappointment later in life.

As a parent, these experiences are difficult to watch, yet are necessary for our children to be able to cope in todays environment.  Similarly, our young puppies need to learn to cope from various situations before they reach 6 months.  Our puppies Critical period is only up to 16 weeks after that they will naturally become more cautious and fearful.  So help your puppy be well balanced and find a Socialization Class to set the framework for your puppy to recover from many situations throughout his or her life.

Using Your Voice as a Reward

The one area I believe we as humans confuse our dogs, is on the use of our voice to reward our dogs behavior.  I find myself repeatedly asking dog handlers to use their voice as a reward so their dog knows they have done something right.  I firmly believe, if you reward a behavior when it is occurring, you will get more of that behavior!

When I see a dog avoiding a handlers face, it is often because the person is talking in a firm or scolding tone to their dog.  How is the dog to know when he is doing something correct or not if we use the same pitch all the time?  Many dogs do not comply with their owners and I believe it is because the dog is confused, he simply does not know how to please his handler.  If you are struggling with your dogs behavior in any way, have someone film you or role play and see for yourself if you know what you are rewarding.
I am not saying yell or drop your tone to scare your dog, simply raise your pitch with a simple and happy "yes, good dog" when he  is doing something you like.  Watch and see if he does not continue the behavior, I'll bet a box of liver treats he will!

Timing is so important, I am always smiling at Pablo when he looks at me so he looks at me all the time.  If you ask your dog to do a behavior, smile and reward when he is looking at you, change your tone the instant your dog looks at you, "Yes, good dog!"  Try it, you will like it because it works!

Outdoor Feisty Fido Class Today

Looking forward to our positive classes today held at the Eastern Prom.

Hope some of our Alumni will be able to join us for the Feisty Fido class as we need good distraction dogs!  For many rescue dogs who have spent months or years practicing this unwanted reactive behavior, learning to not be reactive on the leash, in the car and yard may take months of practice.  But once they have it, your relationship will be better then ever!

Desensitizing our dogs and helping them feel safe is such a great feeling, congratulations to our many Alumni and Graduates as they continue to make outstanding progress!

4th of July Fireworks

While you are planning your fun Independence Day, please remember to think about helping your dog feel safe, here are a few tips to keep your dog from feeling anxious.

Loud noises from fireworks can be frightening to your pets, as they do not know what they are.  So protect your pet and help them get through this day with these tips: Keep Them Home. Don't bring pets to fireworks displays. And never leave your pet unattended in a car. Don't Leave Them Outside Alone. Your pet could get lost or injured if he panics and tries to escape from your yard. Create a Safe Zone in Your Home. Keep your pet in a place familiar and comfortable. A quiet inside room might be best. Make sure they have access to water. You can leave a radio playing at a bit above normal volume to keep him company. Also be sure to remove any unsafe items your pet may chew if she gets frightened. Close all Doggie Doors. Keep pet doors and fence gates locked this weekend. Be Sure Your Pet Has ID. Make sure your pet has a collar and ID tag with up to date information. An ID tag will help get you reunited even if your pet is microchipped. Ask Your Vet. and Behaviorist. Together they can put your pet on a plan to avoid anxiety, which is a serious condition for pets. Don't Give Them Leftover Bones, Human Cookies or Ice Cream. Cooked bones are easily split and can cause serious injury to pets. Also be aware of leftovers your guests may give your pet.   Enjoy the day!