Overcoming a life changing event
Comments (0)I recently received the following question from a reader of my site:
Question: I had two boxers that were involved in a “fight” with two raccoons recently. My two year old male survived, but the six year old was drowned. He has never been without her and is now very skittish and is beginning to get more aggressive and snapping at people. He was previously socialized around other people and dogs, but I am currently nervous about taking him out due to the increased aggression. Where do we start to get our dog back?
Answer: Any large, life changing event is liable to create a behavioral change in a dog. Dogs are creatures of habit and routine, so when routine is disrupted you will often see the net result being a ‘different dog’.
In order to return your dog to normal you have to return your dog to a state of mind that is comforting. Any dog that is ‘out of sorts’ needs strong leadership. The dog needs to feel the calming state of mind that comes only through knowing that there is a leader that is in charge. If you can be the leader for your dog you will find that it will be soothing and help calm your dog.
The best way to be a leader to a dog is through consistent obedience training. Work with your dog. Train your dog. Remind your dog that he needs to listen to your commands. Back up any disobedience with corrections and back up all obedience with a healthy dose of praise. As you lay out the boundaries for your dog the mental chaos that he is going through will dissipate and he will be able to deal with the change that has occurred in his life. The opposite of confusion and chaos is structure and leadership. Provide that structure and leadership for your dog and you will have the happy, well-adjusted dog that you are used to. Good luck.
Earn extra money with your pet related business
Comments (0)Do you own a pet related business? Are you a dog walker, dog trainer, pet sitter, or doggie daycare operator? If you have a business where you are in front of dog and cat owners I could help you earn more money.
Flint River Ranch is one of the world’s best dog foods. They use only human grade ingredients, don’t use fillers, don’t use chemical preservatives, offer free shipping in the lower 48 states, amongst several other benefits. Bottom line, they are a great dog food.
They also have an interesting business model. They don’t spend any money on advertising. Instead, they rely on the oldest form of marketing… word of mouth advertising. Instead of taking out expensive ads in dog magazines, TV and radio commercials, and print advertising they have set up a system where their distributors introduce their dog food to dog and cat owners, and get paid to do so.
By becoming a distributor for Flint River Ranch you are teaming up with one of the best dog foods in the world. In being able to offer a world class dog food you are also in a position to earn world class dollars. Commissions for dog food sales are 19% of the personal volume that you produce on a monthly basis. Checks are sent out every month.
The great thing about introducing your dog and cat owners to Flint River Ranch is that sales are renewable every month. If you introduce them to the food this month that means that you will be paid every month that buy the dog food. Flint River Ranch even sets you up with your own free website so that your clients can continue purchasing the food without any effort on your part.
Becoming a distributor for Flint River Ranch is a win-win situation. Your clients win by being able to feed their pets an incredible dog food and you win by earning money off of their purchases.
To learn how to become a distributor email me at admin@dogbehavioronline.com.
To buy Flint River Ranch dog food for your own pet, click here.
Dog training video
Comments (2)This is just a quick video I did last summer of some off leash obedience training. The dog is named Gunner. He is a Belgian Malinois and I am using the picnic tables as a distraction in training.
Using an electric collar to fix cat aggression
Comments (3)One of the primal urges and drives of many dogs is to chase, capture, and/or kill prey. In many cases this takes the form of going after the household cat. But how can you fix an urge that is hard wired into the head of a dog? The key is using the proper tools and techniques.
Those that read this blog know that I am a fan of electric collars (sometimes called e-collars, remote trainers, or shock collars) only when they are used properly. This dog training tool should never be used in anger or as a means of ‘getting revenge’ for a dog that is misbehaving. Most of the time this tool should be used on low levels and used as a means of communicating a training principle.
In the case of fixing cat problems I recommend using it a bit differently. In a case like this I recommend using it on medium levels. For most cat chasers the drive to get the cat is so strong. Because the drive is so strong you have to use a higher than normal level to fix the issue. The following are some steps to keep your cat safe.
1- Condition your dog to the e-collar by having the dog wear the collar for several days before using it. No, not several days straight. But for several days put the electric collar on at random times and have your dog wear it for several hours at a time. You don’t want your dog to associate his displeasure with cats with the collar. You want him to believe that cats are inherently negative.
At this point you have to keep your dog separate from cats because it is not time to train yet.
2- Once the dog is accustomed to the collar it is time to start training. Have your dog wearing the collar and on a leash. Keep the collar on a medium level. Allow him to be around a cat. The second he starts to show any interest in the cat at all (looks at the cat, barks, lunges, ears perk up in the direction of the cat, etc.) immediately give a quick stimulation. If the dog continues to show interest in the cat continue giving quick taps on the button. DON’T HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN, simply give a few taps until he starts to look away. Throughout this whole process don’t say anything to the dog. Don’t say “No, bad dog, no cat” or anything of the sort. Continue giving the stimulation until the dog no longer is looking at the cat.
This style of training is called avoidance training. The idea is to form a negative association in the mind of the dog with respect to the cat. For that reason you don’t give a command, you want the dog to believe that cat itself is a negative object. If you give the dog a command to stop going after the dog that means that his obedience is relative to you. Normally that is fine for most behaviors but in this case you want the dog to really dislike paying attention to the cat.
3- When the dog continually looks away from the cat it is time to move on to the next step. Allow the dog off the leash so he is feeling more open and free. Repeat the same step as before. The second the dog even looks at the cat give him a stimulation.
4- At this stage your dog should really dislike even looking at the cat. Your dog is just about fixed of his cat addiction. Now the only step to complete is keeping a close eye on him. You will probably catch him taking quick glances from time to time at the cat. Make sure you can consistently correct him for his interest in the cat and you will soon have a cat-proof dog.
For discounted Dogtra brand Electric Collars click here.
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