Happy Life Dogs

TEACHING YOUR DOG TO COME

Set him up for success.
As with all basic training, you want to start where your dog can be successful. If you take your pup to the most challenging and complicated situation and ask him to learn a new skill, you’re setting him up to fail. He’s going to learn to ignore you.
People will often take their dog to a dog park and start calling the dog. The dog hasn’t learned to come to you under those kinds of distraction and they ignore you. If you chase after them to try to catch them, they think it’s great fun. When they finally listen and come over to you, you might put them on a leash, tell them they’re a bad dog and leave the park. So the dog says to himself, “When I finally did listen, I lost the park.” This is a bad lesson for a dog to learn, because they won’t want to come to you if they’re going to lose out on play time.
Another common mistake people make is to practice the stay command and then call for their dog. You want to avoid this because it teaches the dog to be ready to break the stay at any moment, which doesn’t help your stay training. It also teaches the dog that they should be sitting still and staring at you before coming.
Set up the cue and start practicing.
A six month old dog is just starting to hit adolescence and explore their own independence. It’s easy to run into problems if you’re inconsistent with training a dog this age, so be sure to control his environment and set a consistent cue.
You should start inside with no distractions and high value treats. You can stand in front of your dog and give the cue. It’s extremely important to keep the cue the same — if you say “Fluffy, come,” for example, that has to stay your cue. Not “Fluffy,” not “Come here, Fluffy” — it’s “Fluffy, come.” That’s it. Again, that’s just an example — choose a cue that works for you! Adding a hand gesture, such as patting your leg or chest reinforces the cue, as long as it, too, is consistent. Always use a happy voice – no dog wants to come to a human who is angry or frustrated
Make it fun!
Say your cue and move back a few steps. Get excited about it. Treat it as a game instead of a command.
Give the command, move backward by three or five feet, and give your dog a high value treat when he follows. Do that around the house for a little bit. Another game you can play is if you have more than one person in the house, you can call the dog back and forth across a room and eventually do this throughout the household, in different rooms. Reward the dog ONLY for coming to you when called. Don’t ask them to sit or stay BEFORE rewarding them for the Come.
You can even turn it into a game of hide and seek. If you have a house with kids, the kids and dog will both love this. You can go around doors or duck behind the countertop and call the dog until they find you in a new space. Praise lavishly when you’re “found”.
Level-up your location.

Once your pup seems to have an understanding of the cue and he runs to you when you call him, you can go outside to a back yard, park or beach or open space. Again, don’t go straight to a dog park, because that’s a challenging environment. You want to go somewhere peaceful where a dog can be successful.
I would invest in a 30-foot leash — or maybe 50, depending on the space you have. Bring him to a park or a basketball court where that’s not a lot going on. Put him on a long leash and let him wander and check things out at five or ten feet away from you.
If your dog is sniffing the ground ten feet away and you give a cue and he turns and pays attention, get excited. Tell him he’s good. Get low, clap your hands, run away a bit – do something exciting that makes the dog want to follow you. Punctuate that with a high value reward so the dog sees that coming away from the thing he’s exploring and coming to you gets him a tasty treat and praise.
Over time, you can increase the distance and increase the distraction. That might mean your dog is at the full length of the thirty foot leash and sniffing the grass or watching dogs play. This isn’t necessarily something you’re doing on a city street; this should be somewhere where you have control over the environment.
For dogs that are really strong, you should be careful with a long leash so you don’t hurt your wrist or get your legs swept out from under you. In some cases, you can tether the dog to a tree or pole to make sure you’re not going to get hurt.

Get to the dog park.

Eventually, you can go to a dog park. Wait for the dog to have a moment when you feel that they can listen to you. For example, if I was at the park with my dog and she was engaged with three of her dog friends, I might wait a second. When she breaks off to the side to catch her breath, that’s when I would call her over to tell her she’s the best. I’d give her a treat or some water and a quick belly rub, then let her go back to play. When you actually plan to leave the park, head to the exit and wait a bit. Your dog may join you so you can leash and leave. If not, wait until your pup is not engaged before calling.

Finally, one important note to keep in mind: under no circumstances should a dog ever be allowed off the leash if she is being walked anywhere near cars or if your dog is a breed known for sight-hunting (Afghan, Basenji, Greyhound, Saluki, Borzoi, Whippet and others). Off-leash walking is to be reserved for hiking trails, enclosed parks and other completely safe locations. Remember that no matter how good your dog’s recall skills are, no dog is guaranteed to come when called 100% of the time. Better to play it safe than sorry!

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IS YOUR DOG HAPPY OR HYPER?
A dog that’s spinning in circles, jumping up and down, or barking and yipping is not a happy dog. These are all signs of over-excitement. The dog has excess energy and the only way her brain knows how to deal with it is to work it off physically.
Unfortunately, people often interpret these signs as happiness. Many also tend to think that it’s cute when a dog acts like this and wind up unknowingly encouraging the behavior. Curb your dog’s excitement and you’ll be preventing misbehavior in the future.
An overexcited dog is not happy. A calm dog is. Here are a few steps to keep your dog from being constantly over-excited and to be calm, submissive and happy.
Don’t Encourage Excitement. The most important thing to remember when your dog approaches you with excitement is that what you do will determine whether such behavior becomes more or less frequent. The worst thing you can do is give affection or attention to an excited dog. This is just telling him that you like what he is doing. He’ll learn that being excited gets a reward, so he’ll keep doing it. The best way to react to an excited dog is to ignore him. Use no touch, no talk, no eye contact. If he tries to jump on you, correct that behavior as well.
Reward calm behavior. This is the flip side of the first tip. When your dog is in a calm, submissive state, then you can give affection and attention, which will reinforce that state. If your dog is treat motivated, then reward his behavior when he is calm. Through a combination of ignoring excited behavior and rewarding calm behavior, you will help your dog to naturally and instinctively move into the calmer state.
Wear your dog out. A tired dog is a calm dog. More exercise is better.
Engage the nose. Scents like lavender and vanilla can help calm your dog down, especially if you associate them with times when the dog is calm — like having a scented air freshener near her bed. Be sure that your dog doesn’t have any allergies to particular scents and ask your vet for recommendations on the scents that work best at calming dogs down. Don’t overdo the scents. Dog’s noses are 200 times more sensitive than humans. A little scent goes a long way.
Most importantly, your dog cannot be calm if you aren’t, so you need to check your own energy. When you have to correct your dog, how do you do it? Can you stop the unwanted behavior with just a nudge or a quiet word, or do you tend to shout “No” at him over and over? If you’re in the second category, then you’re contributing to your dog’s excitement. Here’s an image to keep in mind: two soldiers in the woods. They’ve come to a clearing and see the enemy ahead. One of them starts to move forward. How does the other soldier stop this? Not by yelling. You’ve probably already pictured the move in your mind — an arm across the chest or a hand on the shoulder, without saying a word. Dogs are hunters, so they have an instinctive understanding of this kind of correction. If the group came up on a deer in a clearing and the Pack Leader barked to tell them to stop, the deer would be long gone and none of them would eat. The leaders stop the pack with nothing but their energy and body language.
If your dog is naturally high-energy and excitable, it can take a while to see results with these techniques. The important part is that you remain consistent in using them and don’t give up. Chances are that your dog didn’t become a hyperactive wild child overnight, so you’re not going to undo it overnight. But you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll start to see a change once you commit. Consistency is the key to success.

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NOISES ON THE 4TH OF JULY

Just a quick tip to help your friend(s) on the 4th of July. All that noise is often an unwanted part of the festivities and your pet can become fearful or unsure. The best way to deal with this is NOT to comfort a scared dog. The mind you pet is the mind you get. Soothing a fearful dog gives them permission to be scared and says you approve of the behavior. Better to put on some background noise that is familiar and fairly loud - TV, fan, A/C or music and then behave as if everything is normal. If a loud "boom" causes your friend distress, distract with a small treat or toy. Remain calm and do not let your stress become theirs. The more YOU are distressed for them, the more stressed they will become. You KNOW everything is OK - and you can convince them this is true if you relax. If you're easily startled or scared, try earplugs. You can also try sitting on a chair or couch with your dog sitting beside you. Put your arm around your dog with your palm flat on the dog's chest and squeeze slowly and rather tightly (not to cause discomfort) You are mimicking a product called a "thundershirt" which also works well for some dogs .
We can all do what's best for our pets. They rely on us.

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I promised I would not get on a soap box, but this past week I have seen/heard SO many people creating the same problem for their dogs, I feel I have to address the issue. How many of you just yell your dog's name when they're misbehaving? This week I heard over a dozen people screaming/yelling their dog's name to stop them from barking, charging their fence or another dog or committing some other household infraction. This is unsuccessful for two main reasons. First, it puts a bad association with the dog's name (FLUFFY!!!!! Obviously my owner is displeased - I should make myself invisible OR my owner is excited - surely he/she wants me to continue my current behavior OR my owner is calling me but I'm too wrapped up in my current behavior to pay any attention) and second, it provides no clear instruction for the dog. A better plan includes remaining calm (no yelling) and going to your dog to correct the unwanted behavior. If your pup is barking at strangers, slip on a leash or grab the collar for a quick correction while giving a command such as "Quiet" or "No Bark". Distract with a smelly treat, but don't actually let the dog have the treat until you get eye contact and 10-15 seconds of silence. If the dog is lunging, a leash snap correction followed by a clear command "Leave it", "No, Sit" or similar. Don't yell, remain confidant, repeat the command ONCE before applying other methods. This is a bit more complicated training activity so feel free to contact me if you have questions. The important message is - Yelling your dog's name will NEVER solve the problem and only succeeds in confusing your friend and weakening your position as leader. Good luck and if you want to learn to speak canine, call me at 206-546-3443.

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FOOD GUARDING
STEP ONE: Thoughtfully and specifically writing down what objects your dog guards, what your dog does to cause you to say she is guarding and how close you need to be to see any sign of guarding. Here’s an example:
Objects: Chew bone, stuffed Kong, favorite stuffed toy in the shape of a deranged dinosaur.
Behavior & Distance: My dog first stops chewing or eating and stands motionless if I get within 4-5 feet of her while she is chewing on her Kong. If I move to within 2-3 feet, her body tenses and her mouth closes. If I walk right up to her and reach toward the object, she will growl.
STEP TWO: Find something your dog likes even better than what she guards. Usually it will be some form of meat, but every dog is different. Be sure to experiment–every trainer or behaviorist has seen X,000 numbers of people who swear their dog “doesn’t care about food” until we get out our super stash of cooked chicken, cheese or freeze-dried liver and get their dog turning somersaults for it. Food is ideal because you can have it on hand and chop it up into pieces that allow you to create lots of reinforcement.
STEP THREE: Stocked with lots of treats, set up a situation in which your dog would guard. In the example above, give your dog a stuffed Kong, leave the room and re-enter with a handful of cooked chicken. Stop WELL BEFORE you would predict a reaction (any reaction) from your dog. In the example above, that would be at about 7-8 feet away. Toss a piece of chicken so that it lands right beside your dog’s mouth. (If you are like me, and flunked softball in school, just toss another one if you miss.). Wait for your dog to eat it up and toss another piece. Repeat once or twice, then leave the room. If your dog leaves the Kong and comes over to you for more, look up at the ceiling and ignore her. You want her to learn that food only comes out of the sky if she is eating and you are standing nearby.
STEP FOUR: After a few sessions of this, start where you began in the last session, but don’t toss any food until you walk forward one step closer, no more. Toss chicken and withdraw one step. Walk forward one step again, toss a treat and then WALK AWAY. You want your dog to think “NO! Don’t walk away!!” If, however, your dog reacts by stiffening, make a mental note to start farther back or to only approach in half steps. You can either stop there or leave the room and re-enter it, repeating Step Four one or two times.
STEP FIVE: Gradually, ever so gradually, decrease the distance between you and your dog. Walk to within 5 feet in one session, then 4 in the next. Go back to just 5 feet for 2 sessions, then go to 4 and possibly 3 IF the dog is responding well. “Responding well” means that your dog is switching from “Oh No! She’s going to take my bone away” to “Goody! Here she comes! Whenever I have a chew bone and she comes close to it I get something better! How cool is that????” That means your dog’s body is loose, not stiff. She does not start chewing frantically as you approach. Her mouth is open and she looks as if she is happily anticipating your approach.
What if she leaves the bone and come to me? Well, good girl! That means she’s stopped guarding the bone in search of something better. Again, simply ignore her and wait for her to return to her bone. It might take awhile for some dogs, but if you look away (this part is important) she will eventually give up and go back to her Kong or dinner bowl.
STEP SIX: Once you can approach your dog and stand right beside her, begin skipping the food toss until you are a few strides away, and start classically conditioning a reach toward the object. Keep in mind that you are working on re-wiring her brain so that she forms a new association between your actions and how she feels about them. Walking toward her is a different action than reaching toward her, so you need to think of it as a different category. (Understanding the distinction between each action you make is perhaps the most important aspect of being able to use classical conditioning to turn around a behavior and it is not something we do naturally without training ourselves to be expert observers and thoughtful analysts of behavior.) First, bend toward the food or toy, drop a treat and then straighten up. Do this several times or as often as necessary for your dog to remain relaxed. Remember: your dog drives the system here, not an idea you have in your head for how long this should take. Gradually move your arm and hand closer and closer to the food or object, eventually taking it away and giving your dog something wonderful in return. I once convinced a head-strong dog to give me the dead bird she had in her mouth and when she did, I gave it back to her. The people watching were appalled, but that’s what she wanted more than anything in the world and she trusted me ever after.
STEP SEVEN: Keep it up. Forever. Not every day, or even every week, but at least every month or so you should remind your dog why it is in his or her best interests to let you take anything away.
PREVENTION: That’s easy–just follow the step above, but you don’t have to go as slowly as you would if you were trying to turn around an established behavior. Dogs love it when I pick up their bowls, because it means they are getting something even better. This is exactly why I continue to remind them how fun it is to let me take things away from them!
OPERANT CONDITIONING?: One last comment–there is a role for operant conditioning here, which is to teach dogs to “Leave It” or “Drop It” (those are different in the mind of a dog I suspect: in one case the dog is focused on something, in another he or she has it in his or her mouth and possession is the law in canid society.)

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SOME BASICS ABOUT YOUR DOG'S BEHAVIOR

• Listen to and Observe Your Dog
Learn to listen to your dog and watch his reactions. If your dog appears to be uncomfortable meeting another dog, animal or person, don’t insist that he say hello. He’s telling you that he isn’t comfortable for a reason and you should respect that. Forcing the issue can often result in bigger problems down the line.
• Be Generous with Your Affection
Most people don’t have a problem being very clear about when they are unhappy with their dogs, but they often ignore the good stuff. Make sure you give your dog lots of attention when he’s doing the right thing. Let him know when he’s been a good boy. That’s the time to be extra generous with your attention and praise. It’s even okay to be a little over the top. Praise can also be used to reward calmness. Just dial down the happy or you may lose that wonderful peaceful state.
• Tell Him What You Want Him to Do
There is nothing wrong with telling your dog “no,” except that it doesn’t give him enough information. Instead of telling your dog “no,” tell him what you want him to do. Dogs don’t generalize well, so if your dog jumps up on someone to say hello and you say no, he may jump higher or he may jump to the left side instead of the right. A better alternative would be to ask him to “sit” or “Back up.” Tell him what you want him to do in order to avoid confusion.
• Be Consistent
Whenever you’re training your dog, it’s important to get all family members involved so everyone’s on the same page. If you are telling your dog “off” when he jumps on the couch and someone else is saying “down,” while someone else is letting him hang out up there, how on earth is he ever going to learn what you want? Consistency will be the key to your success.
• You Get What You Reinforce – Not Necessarily What You Want
If your dog has a behavior you don’t like, there is a strong likelihood that it’s something that has been reinforced before. Dogs learn in patterns. A great example is when your dog brings you a toy and barks to make you throw it. You throw the toy. Your dog has just learned that barking gets you to do what he wants. You say “no,” and he barks even more. Do NOT give in and throw the toy now! Why? Because you will have taught him persistence pays off. Before you know it you’ll have a dog that barks and barks every time he wants something. The solution? Ignore his barking or ask him to do something for you (like “sit”) before you throw his toy.
• Bribery vs. Reward
The idea of using treats to train is often equated with bribery. Truthfully, dogs do what works. If using treats gets them to do what you want, then why not? You can also use the world around you as reinforcement. Every interaction you have with your dog is a learning opportunity, even without treats. So why does your dog continue to hang out? Because you reinforce him with praise, touch, games and walks. Just remember, the behavior should produce the treat; the treat should not produce the behavior.
• Freedom
Let your new dog gradually earn freedom throughout your home. A common error that many pet parents make is giving their new dog too much freedom too soon. This can easily lead to accidents relating to housetraining and destructive chewing. So, close off doors to unoccupied rooms and use baby gates to section off parts of the house, if necessary. One of the best ways to minimize incidents is to keep your dog tethered to you in the house or by using a crate or doggie safe area when you can’t actively supervise him.
• Help Your Dog Succeed
Use simple commands such as “Leave it”,”Wait”, “Quiet”, “No Bite”, “Off”. Don’t bury your commands in a barrage of words. Dogs do not speak English and complicated sentences are difficult for the average dog to learn. Look at your dog and speak clearly when you want him to perform a task. Hand gestures (when consistent!) really aid a dog, especially when learning new things. Do not use your dog’s name when correcting. If your dog associates “Fluffy!!!” with frustrated or fierce energy, training and performance is likely to suffer. Check out the floor/ground you are on when asking for performance. Many homes have hardwood floors that are very difficult for dogs to maintain a sitting position. The slick floor has no traction for paws so the dog slides out of position. Pet parents sometimes don’t notice this difficulty and become frustrated when the pup won’t hold the “sit”. I usually ask the dog to lie down, rather than sit, on slippery surfaces.
• Have Realistic Expectations
Changing behavior takes time. You need to have realistic expectations about changing your dog’s behavior as well as how long it will take to change behaviors you don’t like. Often behaviors which are “normal” dog behaviors such as barking, digging and jumping will take the most time. You also need to consider how long your dog has rehearsed the behavior. For example, if you didn’t mind that your dog jumped up on people to say hi for the last two years and now you decide that you don’t want him to do that anymore, that behavior will take a much longer time to undo than if you had addressed it when he was a pup. Remember it’s never too late to change the behavior but some will just take longer than others.

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DOG FIGHTS
Dog fights are intense, dangerous, and scary. And when your beloved pet is involved, your instinct will be to step into the line of fire to rescue them. It’s essential for your own safety and that of your dog that you know how to correctly recognize and break up a dog fight.

Why Do Dogs Fight?
Dogs fight for many reasons including resource guarding of territory, toys, or food. Or they might react out of fear. Some dogs go on the offensive when they feel threatened hoping to scare the other dog away. Frustration can also lead to aggressive behavior, especially in a dog that has not learned emotional self-control. And a dog can also be pushed too far past their point of tolerance. This can be the case with a reactive dog that is overwhelmed by certain triggers, or a dog that is in pain and therefore lacks patience.

How to Tell a Dog Fight From Rough Play
Dogs play to rehearse more serious behaviors, and many of their games can look aggressive with body slams and throat bites. Plus, many dogs play growl which can make the activity seem even more vicious. So, how do you know the difference between roughhouse wrestling and a dog fight? A close look at the dogs’ body language and behavior should help you decide. Here are some things to look for:
• Are they relaxed and floppy or tense and stiff? Dogs at play will move freely with loose joints and easily moving tail.
• Are their mouths hanging open or are their lips tight or snarling? Dogs use a wide-open play face to show the other dog they mean no harm.
• Does the action start with a play bow (the dog’s front end goes down to the ground while the rear end stays up)? This gesture signals that everything to follow is all in good fun.
• Are the dogs taking turns doing the chasing, slamming and biting? During play, dogs will alternate being the mock aggressor.
• Do they bounce around with big movements? Dog fights are efficient with fast movements, not the exaggerated gestures of play.
Prevention is the Best Policy

Because there are so many causes and because the consequences of a dog fight can be so severe, the best approach is prevention. Learn how to read dog body language and understand your dog’s signs of stress. Anytime you see that your dog is approaching the edge of their comfort zone, intervene and remove them from the situation. You want to predict a fight before it occurs rather than waiting until it’s too late.
The following list of possible signals will help you recognize when your dog is stressed:
• Vocalizing. Your dog might growl, whine, or bark.
• Tucking the tail.
• Flattening the ears back against the head.
• Showing whale eye. This is when you can see the whites of your dog’s eyes.
• Lip licking and/or panting.
• Yawning.
• Excessive sniffing. This can be a displacement behavior to avoid confronting the source of the stress.
• Pacing.
Also be aware of signs of aggressive intent, both in your dog and in those you encounter. For example, a hard stare is a threat in dog language. A dog that is guarding something will often lower their head below their shoulders and stretch their neck forward. Raised hackles are another common sign where the hair on the dog’s back will stand up. Freezing or sudden stillness often precedes an attack. And don’t be fooled by a wagging tail. Although an aggressive dog will often have a stiff or straight tail, wagging just the tip, or short, sharp wags can be a threat gesture as well.
How to Break up a Dog Fight
Even with the best prevention strategy, your dog could still be involved in a dog fight. And intervening can literally be a matter of life and death for your dog. But how can you safely break up a dog fight? First, never put yourself at risk. It’s instinct to jump into the fray, grabbing the other dog or sticking your hands near their mouth. But even your own dog won’t recognize friend versus foe in the heat of the moment. You could suffer serious injuries as a result and still not break up the fight. Plus, if you’re injured, who will be there to care for your dog?
Instead, here are several methods for breaking up a dog fight that will help keep you safe while hopefully diffusing the situation between the combatants:
1. Distract the dogs. Anything that diverts their attention can potentially allow your dog to escape or you to safely pull your dog away. Try a loud noise like blowing an air horn or banging metal pot lids together. Soak the dogs. Either spray them with a powerful hose or dump a bucket of water on their heads. Throw a blanket or jacket over each dog so they can no longer see each other.
2. Use an object to separate the dogs. Be certain to keep your hands and face as far from the dogs’ mouths as possible. Options include a metal garbage can lid, a piece of plywood, a baby gate, a chair or a large push broom. Depending on their size, you can also try to get each dog in a laundry basket or other enclosure you can drop on them from above.
3. Physically separate the dogs. This should be your last resort as it puts you at the most risk. If there are other people to help you, you can use the wheelbarrow technique. One person is assigned to each dog involved and approaches that dog from behind. Then grab each dog by the hind legs and lift them so they are balancing on their front legs like a wheelbarrow. Then walk the dogs backwards, away from each other and into separate areas. Keep moving until the dogs are apart to prevent your dog from turning back and biting you. If you are alone, grab the aggressor dog's back legs and pull away.
If the dogs appear unhurt it is very important that you reduce lasting trauma from the altercation. Bring the dogs to proximity (4-10 feet) and calmly have them lie down. If possible, give a belly rub to make sure your dog leaves the scene with a positive mind-set.
Hopefully, you and your dog will never find yourselves in this situation. But if you do, get your dog to a veterinarian immediately for assessment and consult an animal behaviorist to ensure there are no long-lasting psychological effects for your dog.

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MOST FUN GAMES EVER!

I wanted to share the best indoor and outdoor games I know. Both these games also improve recall. The outdoor game is great for folks with a fenced back yard and low energy!
Indoor - Find Me: Once your dog has gotten the hang of recall, a fun game to play to build speed is to call them from another room. Have your dog sit/stay in one room or have someone hold your dog. Go hide somewhere obvious (or ask your child to hide somewhere obvious), like partially behind furniture or around a corner. Call your dog to come find you. When he finds you, reward with petting, praise and a treat. As your dog learns the game, the hiding spots can become more challenging. This hide-and-seek-like game is a lot of fun for both pups and people!
Outdoor - Hot Potato: Take two or more family members or friends and give them high-value treats. Next, stand far apart and take turns calling your dog between you. Reward your dog each time they come to the person who called them. This can provide valuable exercise for your pet if you need to work in your own yard or other limited space. Plus you, yourself, don’t need to be as mobile while still providing high energy workouts for your pet. Just remember NOT to reward the dog if he learns to run back and forth without being called. If he “automatically” runs to the other person without being called, do not reward. Have the person farthest from the dog call him and then reward the recall.
Also, a brief caution about squeaky toys. These imitate dying animals and should not be used for dogs with high prey drive - think hunting and hound breeds as well as terriers. Stick to silent chew toys and you'll be rewarded with a calmer pet.

Hope these work for you.

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