by Dave Cox | on August 17th, 2011 | in Features, Your Questions
I remember thinking that a rattlesnake sure can coil up fast, but that was just during the moment before it struck, which was an eternity compared to the flash of fangs that hit Daisy.
She stood nearly four feet away from that thing, and I swear she was just about to lock into a point at it—she’s a German Shorthair after all—FLASH, RECOIL, RATTLE, YELP. Then me yelling NNNNOOOO! in a B-movie sort of slow motion. She ran to me, nose bloodied, as that thing sat coiled and rattling for a second helping. They say those snakes rattle to warn you not to come near, but I didn’t hear a report out of this one until after, almost as if to say: you want some more? come on!
In Northern New Mexico where I live, there are two types of viper: the green-hued Prairie Rattler, like the one that hit Daisy, and the larger, more venomous Diamondback. But I wasn’t thinking “what a bit of luck, it was only a little one” as drove her to the Veterinary ER in Santa Fe. Twenty four hours and $1,800 later, she seems in pretty good shape.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t my first run in with a poisonous snake. Several years ago my dog Zeke was bit, and he survived, and the only difference in treatment was antivenom. Herein lies the debate in the veterinary community around here, whether or not to give the dog the $600 treatment. My country vet rarely uses the antivenom, he says that in 20 years, he’s treated 20 dogs a year, and only lost two, and he adds that the injection isn’t completely benign, and that a dog can suffer a reaction to the cure. First do no harm. The vet at the ER suggested antivenom and I didn’t hesitate, and she was up and around, virtually pain free, within two days, where as Zeke was a suffering piñata of edema for more than a week. Anecdotal? For sure, but if this happens again, I’m paying for the vaccine.
by Grayson Schaffer | on December 10th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Cooper post cactus encounter. The spines were actually in his leg and flank.
It’s got to be hard to be my dog. There’s snow on the ground, now, but it turns out that cactus still reside under it and so do their spines. Cooper took a digger yesterday and must have skidded right across one. I noticed a few spines after we were done training but didn’t see the fine hair-like spines that were stuck in his leg and belly by the hundred. When I got home last night, poor Cooper looked like a Shar Pei and couldn’t hold down his dinner. I gave him two Bendryl (to bring down the swelling from his alergic reaction) and started plucking out the spines with tweezers. Three hours later, I’d gotten most of the spines out and the swelling had started to go down. This morning, we went to the vet who said more Benadryl and rest. Cooper thanked the nice man by barfing on his floor. Hopefully the little man’s back on his feet by tomorrow.
by Sue Barns | on November 10th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidicparadise / CC BY 2.0
A few weeks ago, Grayson posted some tips on how to prevent your dog from wolfing down his food. That post drew a criticism for referring to dogs as scavengers rather than straight-up hunt-kill-eat carnivores.
Physiologically, dogs are certainly carnivores. This is evident in the structure of their digestive tract, from their sharp, flesh-tearing teeth, through the bone-dissolving acidity of their stomachs, to their short span of intestine—useful for absorbing fat and protein but wholly inappropriate for digesting vegetable matter. I’ve fed my dogs a raw diet for 10 years. Assistance Dogs of the West also advocates and feeds a raw diet, and has for many years. We have seen remarkable benefit of this sort of feeding in the health, temperament and longevity of our service dogs. Here’s some more info on the how and why of feeding raw.
Although dogs share the majority of their genetic makeup with wolves and can interbreed, in many ways they are distinct. Since their hook-up with humans tens of thousands of years ago, many physical and behavioral changes have taken place. There are many theories on how wolves came to be domesticated into dogs, but a likely route was by learning to scavenge for scraps around human settlements. This behavior was the source of my suggestion that dogs be fed more than once a day—together with personal experience, and veterinary recommendations. Certainly dogs can get by on a single, large meal per day, and there are people who feed this way. As with all interactions with our dogs, it is up to each of us to determine what best serves the health and happiness of our companion animals.
by Mike Stewart | on October 26th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Do I look worried?
Q. I have a 7 month British Lab. Outstanding pup, very good with obedience and retrieving—in the backyard. However, she is very skittish in new surroundings: school yard, fields, park, etc. She won’t retrieve or listen to me anywhere except the backyard, but she does heel very well for more than twenty minutes around our neighborhood. I have tried MANY new locations, recently walking her on a 6′ lead in the same field seems to help a little. Will she outgrow this shyness or is there other methods to assist? Thanks.
A. To arrive at a solution for your dog’s problem, you have to attempt to analyze the possible causes. Situational shyness, as you describe, could come from three specific areas:
1. genetics – the parents portrayed these traits/the dog’s personality
2. improper early puppy pre-conditioning, socialization and backgrounding (the lack thereof)
3. inadequate training methods
Assuming that we have no genetic traits that could be the cause of this problem, then we have to focus on the other two. Even if you have genetic issues that are causing the shyness, progress can be made by slowly introducing variables in the dog’s life for desensitization. Item 2 can be equally difficult. Early socialization of a pup is imperative to build a great foundation for future learning and the ability to deal with new situations. Opportunities lost cannot be regained. Similarly to the genetic issue, this will be a slow process of progressive introductions. One success at a time.
Training: One thing that is interesting is the dog does fine in your backyard but is not easily transferring these skills to other locations and/or situations. There are four levels of training… yard work (teaching the basic skills in a familiar area which you have done), field work (teaching the pattern drills, exercises and skill necessary for hunting, adventure, service, etc.), transitional training (moving the basic skills taught in training to realistic field activities/experiences/situations). Transitional training is where a lot of people break down with their dogs. A few exercises in the back yard, then it’s off to an abandoned lot and we thing we’re ready for a hunt. The result: the wheels run off. It’s called generalization. Dogs don’t easily move/transfer skills learned in one location to another in a rational manner. It has to be experiential. Each skill has to be practiced 5 times in 5 different locations.
Now, in your pup’s case, he’s confident in the back yard, but this confidence is lost when moved to a new area. In gundog training I call this sensory overload or to use popular terms today, the stimulus package. When we are asking skills of our dogs and the stimulation, diversions, and distractions are too high or extreme, we have two choices… simplify the task while maintaining the stimulus or keep the task and reduce the level of the stimulus.
Plan of action: Perfect one or two skills of your choice in your back yard. Then, move one of these skills to a new area but with no activity, just new ground. Perfect the single skill there. Then move the same skill to a new area with a bit more activity. Focus only on one or two skills and gradually vary the locations only after the skill is perfected in each, then increase the stimulus slowly. Here’s the Wildrose rule: Each of our skills must be practiced 5 times in 5 different locations before we can assume the skill is an entrenched habit. Be careful that you do not subconsciously reinforce the fear factor. When you move to a new area, do it with a great deal of confidence which should be displayed in your body posture, tone, gait and attitude. Don’t be thinking your dog is going to fail. Also, don’t coddle the fear. Walk briskly and aggressively as the pack leader letting your dog know there is nothing to fear.
The last of the four levels of training is an actual field activity, hunt, adventure, competition, the public area, etc. Your first experience in any field situation is not about your participation in the activity. Your focus is on training your dog. Example: Your first hunt is not a hunt at all; it’s a training opportunity. Keep in mind Wildrose law #5 as you deal with the fear factor: “Make haste slowly.”
Best of luck,
—Mike
by Mike Stewart | on October 15th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Hey, furball
Q. I have a very smart, 11-week old Golden Retriever puppy. He has learned “Leave it,” “Come,” Sit,” “Down,” “Look,” and to touch my hand with his nose on command. However, I have problems with biting and “heel.” On walks he is more interested in biting my hands, my pants, and especially the leash more than anything else. Using the command “leave it,” will get the dog to temporarily abandon the leash, but go back to chewing immediately after receiving a reward. Often, it is almost impossible to
get him to move; he lies on the ground, zeroes in on biting the leash and wanting to play tug-of-war. When I go down to remove it or pick him up, he turns to my hands.
I’ve also tried giving treats every 10-15 feet for good on-my-side heels, but once the treats are gone, the good behavior is as well.
Rewarding pets are returned with bites and verbal praise for good behavior is ignored.
At home, I’ve eliminated the biting by isolating him after every nip, but I cannot do this on walks and he seems to know.
—Adam
A. Sounds like you’re off to a good start with your 11-week old Golden. I’ll point out one of the Wildrose laws—#5—”Make haste slowly.” You’re trying to teach a lot of commands and behaviors to a very young pup. Pups this age have a short attention span and are easily distracted. Keep things simple, interesting and the sessions short. You’re likely teaching far too many commands at one time before each is becoming a conditioned behavior.
Secondly, your pup is very young and youngsters, especially retriever breeds, very much enjoy using their mouths. Tugging, chewing, pulling are normal behaviors. At this age I’m concentrating more on holding focus, crate training, tying out patiently, early leading (not heel work), and perhaps a sit.
For the tying out, I use a flat collar and a steel tie out cable, 10 feet long. My pup fights, chews, and pulls at this cable which is a fruitless behavior and earns him no results. Therefore, he is not pulling against me nor is he gaining my attention. Once the pup ties out patiently, we can begin to teach leading. Heel work with a loose lead comes a bit later.
Lay off the treats which is only giving the puppy more interest in mouthing your hands and collect all the chew toys which is just reinforcing the chewing. One has to be very careful when training with treats that you are not conditioning in an undesirable behavior that must be trained out later… Wildrose Law #4 – “Don’t train in a habit that you’ll later have to train out.”
Follow these simple procedures, lower your expectations for a pup this age, focus your efforts on gaining patience and the pup’s attention, and be careful not to unconsciously reward your pup for inappropriate behaviors with treats, affection, and praise.
Best of luck.
—Mike
by Mike Stewart | on August 24th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Ol' Ruby in a calmer moment of interspecies understanding
Q. “White dog bit my hand.” That was the unabridged version of the note I found scribbled on an envelope in my mailbox, during the week when my patient and long-suffering mailman, John, was out of town. I’ve got two labs, both rescues. Angus is old and gray and barks at the mailman as well; Ruby is sweet and shy with all dogs and people outside the yard-but inside it, she charges the fence and acts like she’s going to kill passersby. It gets worse: The “White Dog Bit My Hand” note came a couple weeks after “White Dog Tried to Bite Me”—this from the paper deliveryman. And here’s the more embarrassing part: I’ve had Ruby for three years. She was probably abused as a pup, she used to be terrified of new people, but has settled down in most situations. She’s mostly lab, but may have a wee bit of pit bull. I’ve tried a citronella collar that squirts when she barks, but it doesn’t faze her.
I’ve tried a lot of “no!” when I’m there to catch the behavior (but she does it mostly when I’m gone). I’ve put an inner fence inside the fence, but she can still reach the gate where the mailbox is. Now I’ve moved the mailbox and am thinking of fixing sweet Ruby up with a shock bark collar. Any other thoughts? Thanks Dog Shouters! —Elizabeth
We definitely have some issues here. Good that you moved the mailbox. A solid-paneled fence that would prevent her from seeing the mailman would stop the barking and lunging as well. But as for correcting the behavior of the dog (rather than just erecting more elaborate defences): Forget the spray collars. They’re not going to work. Bark collars are effective at suppressing the bark and will probably work, but they won’t permanently stop the barking or teach the dog anything. Also, if you wire up one dog, you should probably wire up the other as well. I subscribe heavily to the pack mentality. If the older dog can still bark, it will encourage the other. What the dog really needs is some socialization and desensitization for passersby, especially those in uniform. With Ruby on a lead, walk out and greet the mailman. Have her patiently, then have the mailman deliver treats with each visit. Give your mailman treats ahead of time if you need to. You want to emphasize that seeing the mailman is a good thing and that this territorial aggression thing isn’t needed. Consider a strong obedience program for both of your dogs and cement yourself as their leader. If they don’t feel like they rule the yard, they’ll feel less inclination to defend it.
by Grayson Schaffer | on July 10th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
{post your training conundrum as a comment and we’ll do our best to answer it}
Pardon me, but do you happen to carry the New York Times?
Q. My seven-month-old Australian cattle dog, Bivy, is starting to show his adolescent side and misbehaving more and more. I spend a lot of time training, socializing, and exercising him, but he’s a different dog when I’m not around and destroys paper, climbs on tables to get to remotes I’ve placed out of reach (or so I thought), gets up on furniture, etc., even though I never leave him without stuffed Kongs and chew toys. Knowing I can’t really scold him after the fact, I’ve tried leaving papers and remotes on the floor when I’m home to catch him in the act, but he’s uninterested. How can I correct bad behavior that only happens when I’m not around? —Mike
A. Mike, I like where your head’s at. You’re trying to set Bivy up to succeed in a controlled environment so that he also succeeds when you’re not around. Trouble is, your dog is clearly not ready to be alone with the temptations around the house. Training him to avoid the remote a few times a day is hopeless if he’s got the rest of the day to hapily untrain himself. It’s likely that he’ll grow out of gnawing everything in site, but you don’t want to risk having inappropriate chewing become a habit. The only thing to do at this stage is to have a safe place to leave Bivy where he can’t get at the remote. Ideally this is a secure outdoor kennel or fenced yard where the lad can get some fresh air. The best runs have shade and privacy, which gives the dog a sense of security. Some people see the bars of a kennel and think it looks too much like doggy jail. I’m of the opinion that a well-situated outdoor enclosure is more fun for the dog than wandering the living room. I leave Danger and Cooper outside in a divided 10×20-foot run. Danger is a year-and-a-half, now, and I’ve just started trusting him to spend the night on his dog bed without wandering into the bathroom to snack on toilet paper. The key thing to remember is that it’s a fluid process that mostly depends on your dog. If what you’re doing isn’t working, you’ve got two choices: change something or live with it.
by Grayson Schaffer | on July 2nd, 2009 | in Your Questions
Jonah, who wrote to us for help with Aggie, his new setter, sent this follow-up on her progress…
Just an update: The key for Aggie is to get her to run. I don’t think she’s spent much of her life outside a kennel, so she loves to run and play. That was the key for pavement. Once I got her to jog with me on pavement, she was cured. She’s still more timid on pavement than on grass. That turns out to be good, though, on our in-town walks.
She’s much better with noises now, as well. She doesn’t mind the sounds of making dinner anymore, although she still doesn’t like the curtains closing (metallic rod sound probably has a high pitch to it) or lawn mowers. I don’t really like those things either.
She also knows her name, sits before we go out, heels, is starting to come when called (unless she’s near water, which she’s crazy about) and we’re working on lay down. I’ll stop myself there before I start rambling about her.
Thanks again for the help.
—Jonah
by Grayson Schaffer | on June 25th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Aggie prefers to stick to the grass
Q. I just adopted a six-year-old English setter named Aggie. She’s a sweetheart of a girl, but she’s had almost zero training. She doen’t know her name, is jumpy at some sounds (though not sudden loud ones, strangely), has a fear of feet, and does not like being on pavement. My strategy is to treat her like she’s a puppy, since she needs to learn anything a puppy would learn. My question is: Is there anything different I should be doing for a neglected, possibly abused older dog? And if you have any advice for helping me best help her (books, methods, etc.) I’d greatly appreciate it. —Jonah
A. Jonah, I like your strategy. Even though your dog has already decided what she does and doesn’t like—feet, pavement, and probably a few other things you’ll discover later—the basics of puppy training like focus and patience is a good place to start. Setters tend to be intelligent, independent, and often a bit skittish. When I hunt grouse with my buddy Dave and his elderly setter, Zeke, the old boy will usually hang with us for a few miles and then go back to the car to wait. Zeke also became gunshy late in life. Why? I have no idea, but that brings up your dog’s history. It’s often tempting to interpret adopted dogs’ idiosyncrasies as signs of previous abuse. Maybe they are, maybe not, but the fact is all dogs have their quirks and most can get over them with consistent work. You just need to decide whether they bother you enough to try and train them out. Here’s where I’d start with Aggie:
- Figure out what she likes and will be willing to work for. Does she respond with lots of tail-wagging to affection? Does she love her food or treats or a specific chew toy? Figure out what gets her going and reserve those things as training rewards.
- Above all else, build in a solid recall. I can’t tell you how comforting it is to know I can blow a whistle and have young Cooper instantly drop what he’s doing and come running from anywhere within earshot.
- Teach that dog her name. Use the beginning of our leave it drill and instead of adding the cue “leave it” for ignoring food on the floor, add her name for looking away from the treat in your outstretched hand and making eye contact with you.
- If you want to make the pavement less scary (assuming it is scary and not just really hot or that Aggie has soft feet), try some classical conditioning: Toss a few of Aggie’s favorite treats onto the pavement so she has to put at least one paw on the road to eat the treat. Then move the treats a little farther away. You’re building a simple association between good treats, like liver, and the pavement.
For books, check out the ones we’ve mentioned here. Also, Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot the Dog is still a classic must-read for all operant trainers. Let us know how it goes.
by Grayson Schaffer | on June 4th, 2009 | in Features, Your Questions
Post your training conundrum in the comments section below.
Determined, the huskies executed an elaborate marine escape
Q. I have two Alaskan huskies that are so smart and loving, but every time they are off-leash they run away and NEVER come back. Two or three days after they take off, someone will find them and give me a call to pick them up. I try desperately to keep them contained or on-leash at all times, but huskies are clever escape artists. I exercise them a few miles a night but they still run away every chance they get. I’ve been told that huskies will always run away, and you can’t train them not to. Is that really true? Is there any way to teach them to come back? —Amber
A. Amber, what you’re hearing is more or less true. Huskies have been selectively bred for their strong instinct to run long distances in freezing temperatures. I interviewed three-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey for Outside’s March issue, and he had this to say on the subject: They’re designed and raised specifically for this sport. And in reality, they’re useless unless this is what they’re doing. They’re not a real laid back kind of dog. They don’t make good house pets. Their mentality is to run. You take ‘em of the chain and, shit, they’re gone—they run off. Now, Mackey was talking about dogs from his kennel that were bred specifically for racing. If your dogs are a few generations removed from mushing, their drive may not be quite so strong. Here are a few ideas to keep them closer to home.
- If they love their food, you can use this as a powerful reward for a successful recall. You’ll know you can train a recall if your dogs get excited when they hear the rustling of the feed bag or the clang of the dinner bowl. If those sounds have become conditioned reinforcers for the dog, you’ll know you can train other sounds to mean the same thing: Come to food. Read a few of our posts on recall, but a shortcut: Get a dog whistle and give the recall trill just before rustling the foodbag or filling the dogs’ bowls. Do this consistently over several weeks until the link between whistle and food is ironclad.
- You may also be unwittingly reinforcing the running-away behavior. If, on the occasions when the dogs do come back, you immediately leash them and take them home, you’re teaching them that a successful recall means the fun’s over. There’s something called Premack’s Principle in animal psychology, which says that you can use a high-probability behavior to reinforce a low-probability behavior. It’s the old, If you clean your room you can go out and play. If you come when called, you can go run some more. Try this in a big fenced run. (A lot of rural animal shelters provide these for the public free of charge.) Practice your recall. When the dogs return to you. Release them again and encourage them to run and play. The idea is that, through repetition, they’ll stop seeing the recall as a game-ender.
- An e-collar might be helpful, but, with a huskie, you should consult a professional animal behaviorist. With a Lab, the first instinct after getting a jolt will usually be to run to the owner or to scratch at the collar. A huskie may bolt and run into the next county.
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Garmin Astro
Lastly, here’s a high-tech fix that won’t exactly solve your problem, but could help reduce your stress. Garmin makes the Astro GPS tracking collar that can pinpoint the location of both of your dogs on a hand-held screen that you carry. It seems that if your dogs are going to act like a pack of roaming wolves, you might need to take a page from the book of wolf field biologists and wire them up with tracking collars.
by Sue Barns | on May 18th, 2009 | in Your Questions
Cute, but Brutus is a toy-hoarding monster
Q. My dog, Brutus, loves his toys to the point where he attacks other dogs that try to play with them. And it’s not just his toys. Say we’re at the dog park and there is a dog that is playing with a tennis ball: He will steal the tennis ball from the other dog and get very mean if that dog tries to take it back or even share it. At home, I have to take his toys away and put him in “time out” which is him being sent to his crate. I don’t think it’s a matter of lack of exercise; I let him run next to my scooter until he’s tuckered out, which he absolutely loves. Any suggestions on how to stop this possessiveness/obsession?
A. Possessiveness is an entirely natural behavior for dogs and, in the case of dog-dog interactions, a difficult one to modify. From Brutus’s perspective, his behavior works—and every time he successfully steals a toy or defends one from another dog, his obnoxious behavior is rewarded. I know of no way to decrease his interest in toys—I expect that “time outs” will have the opposite effect—and I don’t want to deprive him of what are obviously a great source of joy in his life! But here are some thoughts on improving his etiquette around other dogs:
- I suspect you’ve figured this out by now, but… Don’t give your dog toys when he’s around other dogs.
- Train your dog to drop toys (or anything else that’s in his mouth) on cue. When your dog has a toy, offer him another, better toy or treat. As he opens his mouth to take the new thing, say “drop” and praise him enthusiastically when he does. If he likes to retrieve, you can throw the toy for him as a reward. This is going to take a lot of training with every toy he has before it becomes automatic. Make your dog think that whenever you say “drop,” an even cooler toy or fabulous treat will appear. You will get lots of use out of this command, and you can use it when Brutus steals another dog’s toy. We’re working on this one with Danger at ADW, now.
- Train your dog to have solid leave it and come (recall) commands, and use them to prevent stealing other dogs’ toys. This is especially important if your dog is inclined to get ugly with other dogs. As your letter indicates, you recognize that he lacks self-control around toys, so it’s your responsibility to provide that control. Just like you wouldn’t let a son (or daughter) bully other kids at the local playground, you can’t let your pup bully other dogs at the park for their toys!
by Mike Stewart | on May 14th, 2009 | in Your Questions
Mabel, the black & tan cat hound
Q. My three-year-old mutt sure loves cats. Mabel’s dominant breed is black-and-tan coonhound mixed in with some Lab, Weimaraner, and who knows what else. She’s never met one up close but she chases them with enthusiasm that I would really get a kick out of were it not the fact that she often chases them into traffic. It’s happened maybe five times in the two-and-a-half years I’ve had her.
She, has a very strong prey drive for many different animals (deer, wild turkeys, squirrel, etc) but I’d be happy just to curb her desire to chase cats. I’ve heard that I can get a remote-controlled cat decoy for our house and use it to desensitize her to them. I heard about this electronic cat third hand, and so am not sure where to get one of it they even exist. She said it’s used in combo with clicker & treats.
Obviously, I do not let her walk around outside off leash in my neighborhood unless I know we’re in a catless area (dog parks, mainly) but she has snuck past me and run across our street to a house where, like, five frickin’ cats live.
The other night we were driving home from the country–-where she has spent two days chasing critters–-and we stopped for a bite to eat. While we were eating in the parked car, she spotted a cat in the parking lot and was going nuts, wanting out of the car to chase it. About two hours later we pulled into the driveway at home and when I opened the car door she bolted out and ran like nuts down the block, at nothing in particular, then bee-lined for the cat house. She was a dog possessed, but I believe it was the adrenaline from the weekend and the cat in the parking lot. —Mary Catherine
Sorry to be so long-winded. Just looking for advice on curbing this obsession of hers.
A. A cat hound, hey? This is going to be a tough one. What we have here is a dog bred to instinctively do exactly what she is doing, pursue game. To her the cat is legitimate prey. Cats do indeed offer a bit of sport to the hound breeds. Take a look at my post on the various breeds. Basically you’re working against this dog’s instinct. But that said, we, too, in the retriever business do the same. Our dogs pursue game, pick it, flush it from cover, track it, etc. But they have to learn to be steady and only perform these skills when directed. Here’s your task:
- An enormous amount of obedience control is needed: heel, sit, stay and recall must be impeccable.
- When these skills are thoroughly entrenched and your dog’s behavior is calm and focused, we can start introducing distractions. Naturally do not start with the ultimate, a cat (fake or otherwise). Simply walk your dog down the drive bouncing a tennis ball or rolling it in front of you. Have your dog at sit, throw her favorite toy past her and and then require her to stay seated while you pick it up yourself. (This is called a denial.) Only when your dog has mastered one level of distraction can you move to the next level.
- De-sensitize your dog to more active distractions: kids running around the park, squirrels playing about, ground birds such as robins that would flush in front of your dog as she walks on lead. Get your dog walking around other dogs that are running, playing and retrieving. Practice recalls, stay, etc. with all these distractions moving about. Add a check cord for security so you can add distance between you and your dog–another big disctraction.
- Finally, after several months of incremental training with lesser distracionss, it’s time to introduce a cat. See if you can find one that you can place in a cage and work your dog around–seeing it from a distance, then gradually heeling or loose-leash-walking toward the cage, and finally walking right past it. In all trials, your dog’s attention must be on you and not the cat. If she wavers, go back to a lower level of distraction and build up slowly. When heeling, a quick snap of the lead or treats can help put her attention back on you. If your dog likes to retrieve, you might have a bit of a game on the check cord rewarding the good behavior with a fun retrieve and keeping her focus off the cat. With our bird-crazy retrievers, we do a similar exercise using caged quail and pigeons. In order to get a reward, the dog’s attention must remain on the handler and not wander to the bird.
- Once she’s solid with the cat in a cage, it’s time to have a friend release the cat while your dog sits patiently on lead. If your hound attempts to chase, give a firm correction with a “no” and heel in the opposite direction.
There are a lot of exercises you’ll need involving a cat. Desensitization takes a great deal of time, positive reinforcement (treats), a check cord and a slip collar or choker chain for firm corrections and, finally and most importantly, a willing friend with a cat. You can’t just expect your dog to start ignoring cats. It’s a slow and gradual progression. With consistency, patience, and a lot of time, I’m confident you and Mabel can do it.
by Grayson Schaffer | on May 5th, 2009 | in Your Questions
Conrad the border collie
Q. I have a 5 1/2 month old border collie mix whose company I enjoy a great deal. The problem is that in the evening he wants to play nip—playful biting that’s no fun for me. This can happen at other times of the day, but in the evening I have a great deal of difficulty redirecting him. This can happen when the person is sitting quietly or when we are moving, but it usually comes along with a period of hyperactivity (running wildly through the house), almost like a kid who is tired but won’t voluntarily lie down to nap. At times he looks like an alligator, swinging his head from side to side nipping at the air. I don’t know what would be the best way to address this with him or what I need to do earlier in the day to prevent this from happening. We tend to either walk or play catch in the morning and then the reverse in the afternoon. He loves to play catch. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. —Donna
A. Donna, I think there are a couple of things going on here. The first and most obvious is the breed and age of the dog. Border collies are highly athletic and somewhat needy—especially in their teenage years from about six months to a year and a half. Some of this behavior should be expected, but it can still be mitigated. Here are some ideas.
- Collies are herders. You need to buy a flock of sheep.
- If becoming a shepherd is not an option, make sure the dog is getting enough exercise. Catch is a great game because it requires the dog to sprint much farther and faster than the handler. If you haven’t already tried one, those Chuckit! tennis ball throwers can help increase the distance your dog gets to run.
- Assuming your dog has plenty of exercise, make sure you’re not provoking or reinforcing his nipping: Keep your hands clear of his mouth at all times, don’t pull away or try to bat him away. In general this sort of “stop that” and push away response from you is a strong reinforcer to a dog that wants to play.
- Try a convincing yelp of your own when he latches on to you. Puppies play bite each other all the time and know to release when they hear their littermates holler.
- Redirect Conrad by place training him. He should have a mat, rug, or dog bed that he knows is his. You can teach this with a combination of positive reinforcement (at the beginning) and low-force positive punishment (once he knows it).
- When he steps onto his mat, click and give him praise and a treat.
- In your next training session, if he knows lie down, have him lie down on his mat. If he doesn’t know this one, just sitting on his mat is fine. By the second or third five minute training session, he should get the idea that going onto his mat equals reinforcement and a reward.
- Once he understands the significance of the mat, add the cue: go lie down or go to bed or go settle are common cues used for this behavior.
- Keep this up with a few more sessions of positive reinforcement but lengthen the amount of time Conrad needs to sit on the mat before you treat him. Once you’re convinced he knows what’s expected of him, make treating rare.
- If he gets up, physically put him back on his mat and give your cue again. Sometimes putting a leash on him and stepping on it while you sit in a chair next to his mat can help.
- Chew Toys can offer a frenetic puppy a place to direct his energy. If your dog likes treats or liver, try getting the kind of toy you can fill with something good. Give him his toy only when he’s on his mat. Just be sure you count any treats you give him as part of his total daily intake.
- Confinement: Your dog should have a safe place where you can give him a timeout. A crate, kennel, a pen in the yard—some place you know you can leave him and know he’s not going to get into trouble. If you can’t get the nipping to stop, you need to give the dog a time out. I do this by putting the dogs in their respective kennels in the yard. Just a few minutes should do, but it could take longer. The key is that if your dog barks or otherwise carries on and you break down and respond to his cries, you’ve just reinforced tantrums as a way to get your attention. Put the dog in his pen, then wait for him to be quiet for at least 30 seconds before you let him back in. The idea is that if a dog can learn to manipulate you by carrying on, he can just as easily learn to be let back in by settling down.
More Fun Games to Focus Your Rambunctious Pup:
- Try clicker training your dog either for obedience or agility
- Puzzle-solving games with you (hide-and-seek, find the treats hidden around the house, various puzzle-toys )
- Quiet time in a crate with a long-lasting game/toy like a Buster Cube, a stuffed Kong or just a good ol’ marrow bone.
by Grayson Schaffer | on April 10th, 2009 | in Your Questions
It's come to this
Q. I can’t get my dog to stop knocking over the trash like it’s a ghetto liquor store. You got anything fuzzy and “positive” for that? —Randy
A. Randy, first thing’s first. Danger’s a trash eater, too, but when he does get in there, it only means that two other things have gone wrong, first: (more…)
by Mike Stewart | on March 30th, 2009 | in Your Questions
Danger in a frap
Q: Any suggestions on how to teach a dog to “drop?” My Jack Russell terrier will not let go of her toys once she grabs hold of them. —John
A: Realize the nature of the dog you are dealing with. Jack Russells are possessive and love a good fight. Giving things up is not in the nature of the breed. They are ratters and burrowers by natures, so don’t encourage the undesirable behavior.
- Get rid of all chew toys. They encourage possessiveness.
- Don’t play tug-of-war or chase
- Use treats as positive rewards
- When your Jack Russell has an item and won’t give it up, grasp the article firmly. Have a treat ready in hand. Give your release command, “Give,” in an authoritative voice—not weak or loud, just a firm pack-leader tone with direct eye contact. If she doesn’t respond, don’t pull the object or the Jack Russell will pull back. Just reach to the dog’s flank and make a sharp, quick grab of the loose skin in front of the hind leg at the belly—much like a pack mom would make a bite—and repeat the command. The dog should spit out the object. Now, quickly give the treat.
Soon, your Jack Russell should hear the release command, consider its options, and calmly give you the article in exchange for the treat.
by Grayson Schaffer | on May 4th, 2008 | in Your Questions
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