No need to accept bad behavior
Comments (1)In dealing with dogs and dog owners every day it is inevitable that a bulk of my conversations revolve around dogs. There are several phrases and philosophies that I hear from time to time. One of those phrases is, “Oh, he does that because he is a puppy.”
One thing I really help my clients to understand is that, yes, your young dog is jumping, chewing, nipping, peeing on the floor, pooping on your rug, etc. because he is a puppy. I then go on to explain that although these are very natural puppy behaviors they are not acceptable puppy behaviors.
A lot of people reading this may say, “Well, of course they aren’t acceptable. I know that.” The reason I write this, though, is that many people have consigned themselves to the fact that they are going to have to put up with a year of hair pulling, teeth clenching moments before they can actually enjoy their puppy. I think that many believe that part of raising a puppy is just putting up with these horrible behaviors as training and age begin to take effect.
I am here to say that it is important to recognize the limitations of a puppy mind when you begin training. There is no need, however, to allow yourself to fall into the mindset that you just need to accept certain bad behaviors. There are solutions to every negative puppy behavior. Some take longer to implement but none of these behaviors need to be accepted.
I encourage you to seek out the best methods. If you have been working on a specific puppy behavior without success for a time realize that you must seek out a different method, not throw in the towel and hope the puppy ‘grows out’ of the bad behavior.
Good luck with your puppy training!
Utah Drug Dog
Comments (1)I am adding a new aspect to my dog training company. I will now be offering drug searches for homes, schools, and businesses in the Utah area.
This is a part of my business that I am very excited about. I have always loved the ability of dogs to work for a living and better the lives of their human counterparts.
My drug dog company will be a first of its kind in Utah and I look forward to the success we can find in helping to get rid of drugs and illegal substances.
The website is not at full speed yet but can be found by clicking on the following link- Drug searches in Utah
Crate training a Boxer
Comments (0)This is a recent question from a reader of my website:
Question: I recently adopted a Boxer from an animal shelter. According to them he had been with a family for a short time then sent the SPCA due to inability to care for him.
We tried a crate the first two nights and he was able to get out the second night. We have realized he needs to be near people. Example, he doesn’t like to be outside on a chain unless we are outside, even if we go inside for a few minutes he will whine some and want to come in.
We are having problems housebreaking him. He urinates and defecates in the house when we are gone or sleeping even if he has done so outside prior. This behavior seemed to decrease over the first month we had him. We then went away for five days and had a house sitter and he was horrible. She would walk him and he would do his business or seem to then once back in the house he would urinate and defecate more. It has been two days since we have been back and he has continued this behavior though not to the degree he did while we were gone.
Now he has started going through the garbage and taking items off the kitchen counter. He is a loving dog but exhibits this negative behaviors (inconsistently) and we cannot find a reason for it. Any advice?
Answer: No need to analyze in depth the reason why he does these things. He simply does these things because he hasn’t been trained not to.
First things first, you need a better crate. Yes, he does need to be around people. All dogs do. The purpose of the crate is to teach the dog to be calm when people aren’t around. Getting your dog crate trained is going to fix the house training and garbage diving problem and will once and for all teach your dog how to be alone.
A question about separation anxiety
Comments (0)This is a recent question from a reader of my website:
Question: My dog Jake is a chihuahua and shih tzu mix. He is now five months old and I have been told he has separation anxiety. When I put him in his kennel he whines, drools profusely, bites at the door, and scratches trying to get out. Do you have any suggestions of what I could do to help him enjoy his kennel and realize that I am always coming back for him? Is there any way to help him relax?
Answer: It is a little early in the dog’s life to give an accurate diagnosis of separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is a real disorder. It is a chemical imbalance in the dog’s brain. My guess is that you have a dog that is simply nervous when you leave. If your dog really has separation anxiety, though, then there are only two courses of action:
1- Proper medication to help manage and control the chemical impulses in the dog’s brain.
2- Good training. In a case like yours you need to work on crate training. Use treats to help your dog enjoy the crate. Feed your dog only in the crate. Put your dog in the crate and ignore her for several minutes before you leave. When you come home ignore her for several minutes. Use the crate often while you are home and ignore the anxious behavior.
Good luck.
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