Let’s Ask The
Trainers.
Let’s Ask The Trainers is a new section, exclu- sive to The New Barker. In each issue, we’ll present questions which may be answered by the following skilled dog trainers from across the state. Some answers may be edited for space and brevity. Please feel free to consult with any of the trainers with your specific questions. Their complete contact information is on the opposite page.
Glen Hatchell,Tampa's Home Buddies Dee Hoult, Miami's Applause Your Paws Elaine Rinicker, Tampa Bay's Happy Urban Dog Training Rebecca Boudreaux on behalf of Sarasota Dog Wizard Alicia Scholet, Clearwater's The Refined K9 Samantha Triplett, St. Petersburg’s STK9.
Introduction by Alicia Scholet, The Refined K9: In dog training, there aren't any quick remedies for unwanted behaviors. Most behaviors have developed over time. Each dog, each owner, each household and each environment is completely different. As trainers, we keep that in mind when tailoring a training program that factors in all of these elements. It takes time, con- sistency and training by the human to train or rehab your dog, as the case may be. That's right, it's the human who needs about 90 percent of the training on how to correct their dog's unwanted behavior. Matching a dog with your lifestyle is another critical component. Mike Ritland, author of the book, Team Dog, wrote,
"Time spent with your dog doing activities means more to your dog than doing things for him." Indeed, the families with the most behavior issues are generally those who have a high energy breed and an owner who works 40 hours a week. A dog needs more than two hours of interaction per night.
1) My dog barks excessively, even after a situation (which caused the barking) has dissipated (i.e. - the delivery guy is gone; noise from outside is gone) Dee Hoult: Excessive barking is a
result of high arousal, excitement, stress or fear. Move your dog away from whatever stimuli caused the barking outburst. If the barking is occurring inside of your home, the best place for your dog is another room behind a closed door. This is what we call a “timeout,” which signals to your dog that the barking was inappropriate, and their barking caused a temporary iso- lation away from the family. It’s important that timeouts are short—no more than 60 seconds—otherwise your dog may forget why he was put in timeout mode. Glen Hatchell: Even though he’s
long gone, the delivery guy is still front and foremost in your pup’s mind. My first approach is to get your dog’s focus off of the delivery guy and on to an activity. This could be practicing basic obedience skills or providing him with a hide-a-treat game that will get his mind consumed with something else. Rebecca Boudreaux: Dogs tend to
get locked into a certain frame of mind, almost like a broken record. When you can startle them out of that state, you have a brief opportunity to redirect them into a behavior worthy of giving praise. Most
52 THE NEW BARKER
people make the mistake of not doing anything after the correction is issued, missing a valuable opportunity to give praise. Capitalize on the silence by giving the dog a command and then praising them immediately for doing it.
2) My dog gets along with everyone within our own family nucleus (dogs+humans). No aggressive tendencies. However, when someone is invited into our home, he becomes the tazmanian devil - lunging forward, jumping and nipping at their hands. We’ve tried keeping him on a leash, but that seems to make it worse. Rebecca Boudreaux:Most of the
time, the barking and lunging you describe is a bad habit that your dog has decided is one of the jobs he’s supposed to do, possibly to alert or protect his pack. Sometimes, adding a leash to hold a dog back only adds pressure during an excited state and can typically make the greeting worse. If your dog understands a com- mand like “place” then you would put him on place while you allow visitors to enter. Your dog would know his job is to hold place until he is released or, at a minimum is calm enough to gently meet visitors.
Dee Hoult:Your dog’s home is his
safe zone, so from his point of view he’s likely feeling threatened by the intrusion
of a stranger. You never want to force your dog to have an interaction with someone he’s uncomfortable with. Take time to train your dog to reliable “place” behavior. Right now, he doesn’t know what to do, which is why he’s choosing to lunge or nip at your guests. To teach the place command, lead your dog to a bed or mat, and give him treats for laying down on his mat. This is a behavior you want to reinforce heavily with treats and praise so that your dog loves being on his place. For the safety of guests, it is a good idea to keep a leash on your dog while visitors are over. You do not need to hold the leash, but instead leave it dragging so that should your dog leave his place while visitors are present you can direct him back using the leash. Once your dog is back on his place, make sure to reward him heavily with more treats. Give your guests instructions not to look at him or speak to him; pretend like he doesn’t exist. This will help take the pressure of your dog. Should your dog want to calmly approach your guest, make sure to instruct your visitor to still ignore your dog. This will help build your dog’s confidence that no one is going to hurt him, or force him into an interaction he’s not comfortable with. (Continued on following pages)
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