5 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR DOG YOU ARE IN CONTROL

Leadership is the most important factor in a dog's behavior. If your dog feels there is a lack of leadership, then they will try to take control. This can lead to reactivity, aggression, and fearful behavior, and you are unable to control them. Here are some tips you can use to show your dog that you are able to lead them through our world, which is not instinctual in the dog brain.

WORK FOR FOOD

Every person and dog are usually more balanced and fulfilled when they have a job to do. A popular trend, spoiling your dog, usually entails letting the dog lay around all day, and get treats just for being alive! We wonder why our dog’s behavior is bad because we give them everything. Everything but mental stimulation. I suggest that you teach your dog to sit, “done”, or “stay”, and make them perform these behaviors every time before they are fed and before giving them treats. This builds self-confidence in your dog because they know they have done a job correctly and are being rewarded. If we give food willy nilly, minding you is not their priority because they get the reward whenever they want.

PLACE

Dogs need to know where they belong in space. Giving your dog a place they belong calms them down, the job of staying put, and increases your leadership. They will look to you to know when to be released, or the next thing you will ask of them.

STRUCTURED PLAY

Playing with your dog is a great relationship builder. One of the most common issues I see is that a dog initiates the play, and we give in. This teaches the dog that if they get excited and bug you enough, you will give in. Play, just like treats, is a reward. In order to get the most out of play, start calmly and end calmly. You should make your dog sit, wait for calmness, and then begin to play. After playing, ask them to sit again, wait for calmness, and then give the dog a treat. They will learn that in order to play, they must follow your direction, wait for your cue, and then they get the reward of play. Dogs want to earn rewards, and playing with them when they get overexcited communicates to the dog that they are in charge, which can lead to unwanted behavior.

OWN EACH ENVIRONMENT

Let the dog know you are in control of every environment. Ever wonder why your dog obeys inside, but not outside? The issue is leadership. Before you enter any threshold (front door, bedroom door, kitchen door, kennel door, etc.), make the dog sit, you go first, and then have them follow. This will decrease your dog's tendency to look for things to react to in the environment and will look to you for direction in that environment. This includes when you step outside. Before you start walking, make the dog sit, calm down, and then continue.

REWARD THE STATE OF MIND

A calm dog is a healthy dog, with more self-control. Make sure to let them know what you want by treating this state of mind. Do not reward excitement, or you will breed excitement. Wait until your dog is calm, maybe even laying down, and then reward the dog. The dog will learn that you like that state of mind, and they will repeat what they get rewarded for.

TAKEAWAY

Your dog craves leadership. When you give them what they need, they will show you the behaviors you want. This is the way to build a better and healthier relationship with your dog.

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HOW TO MAKE THE VET VISIT LESS STRESSFUL FOR YOUR DOG

I’m pretty sure most dog owners can relate to this one. It seems that our dogs’ worst behaviors come out in this setting, and we wonder why they are not acting like themselves. Here are some tips to help your dog handle the stress of the vet’s office and make the vet a positive place for your pup!

TAKE THEM THERE FIRST

Dogs learn by association. If we only take them to the vet when they are getting poked and prodded, they will see the veterinarian's office as a negative place. This association leads to more fearful behavior and can create reactivity that you may only see at the vet. Try taking your pup to the vet office, let them smell around, give them treats, praise, and then leave. Do this twice before your vet visit, and now your dog associates the vet with positive rewards!

WALK

The most important gift you can give your dog is the gift of calmness. A calm dog can handle stress better and is less likely to be reactive and fearful. Both of these behaviors come from over excitement. A tired dog is happy and calm. I suggest taking your dog on a long walk prior to your appointment to let them release any excess energy or stress.

TREATS

As I stated earlier, treats are a great way to build positive association with the vet's office. Use treats when you get there, let the staff give treats, and use them as a distraction while they are getting examined. Again, this creates a positive association with the whole process.

CRATE

If you have a small dog, use a crate to take your dog to their vet appointment. This will make them feel safer, causing less stress and the intensity of any reactivity.

EXCITEMENT

As surprising as this may seem to some, excitement is not always a positive thing. At the vet, this excitement leads to fear, anxiety, and reactivity, even in the most relaxed dogs. In order to manage excitement, ask the staff to please not speak to your dog because verbal language ramps them up more. Ask the staff to avoid eye contact because eye contact is a threat in dog language, and if they are giving your dog treats, ask them to please be calm and avoid eye contact and words. We want the dog to associate the staff with rewards and calmness. Excitement is not the state of mind you want for your dog in this scenario.

INSIST ON BEING IN THE ROOM

Remember, these people are strangers to your dog, or they are associated with negative memories based on past visits. The staff moves quickly, your dog does not have time to think, and they handle the dog without letting the dog come to them, which gives the dog the opportunity to initiate the interaction, or wait for the dog to be comfortable. This happens because they are busy and have lots of animals to see. Now, we can't change their speed, but we can be there to reassure our dog there is no danger. We can reward them while they are being tended to and let them know that the staff is not a threat.

The vet is an unavoidable event, and crucial for your pet’s health. While you cannot avoid it, you can help your dog navigate the experience with the least amount of stress as possible.

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TEACH YOUR DOG TO WALK BY YOUR SIDE WITH THIS FUN TOOL

A SHORT LEASH

Using a traffic lead, sometimes known as a short leash, is a great way to bond with your dog and teach the dog that you expect them to walk by your side, without using inhumane tools or even words.

WHAT IT IS

The traffic lead I am using should be no longer than a one and a half feet long. I recommend pairing it with a slip collar or martingale, which are collars that use movement to help communicate with the dog, instead of static pressure.

HOW TO USE IT

Make sure the collar is up, behind the ears and under the jaw, which gives the handler better control and protection for sensitive parts of the neck. When leaving the house, make sure you walk out of the door first to get your dog in a follow or state. If your dog pulls ahead, stop. They can't get very far, so they will learn that in order to move forward, they must remain at your side. Give the leash a few pops and release. This teaches the dog what to do using body language. They are learning that the pressure will go away when they walk at your side.

TAKEAWAY

Using a short leash teaches your dog where they belong in space. When you are walking together, it limits their ability to pull towards distractions, and it get them in a follow or mindset, not a reactionary one.

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HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO STOP JUMPING

HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO STOP JUMPING

I have worked with several dogs where this was the main issue faced by the dog owner. Whether it is jumping on the owner, children, visitors at the door, or jumping onto counter tops, this is for you!

THE PROBLEM

It's an energy issue. When a dog is over its excitement threshold, it limits their ability to have self-control, and they are only going to react. The way your dog is displaying this jumping behavior has everything to do with their energetic state at the moment the behavior occurs, and the only way to remedy the situation is to learn how to cultivate a calmer state of being in your dog.

USE THE CRATE!

Anybody that is familiar with my behavior training has come to know the importance I place on utilizing the crate. Dogs need a place to decompress and to feel safe. Using a crate in times when your dog is over their excitement threshold will allow them to calm down. When your dog shows this jumping behavior, slowly walk them to the crate, wait for calmness, and let them out when they are calm. When guests come over, put your dog in the crate, wait for them to be calm, and then let them meet your guests.

MAKE JUMPING LESS REWARDING

Dogs repeat behavior they get attention for. Make sure to reward your dog's state of mind. When your dog jumps, do not say "no." Cross your arms, turn around, and as soon as they stop, reward them with treats or praise. Make sure your dog knows when they have done the right thing.

INTRODUCE THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT

As soon as they stop jumping, ask them for a sit, and then give the dog a reward. This will teach your dog that sitting is more rewarding than jumping.

REMEMBER

Most behavior issues occur because of the energetic state if your dog. Use all the tools at your disposal to cultivate calmness in your dog. This includes the crate, exercise, obedience, and teaching alternate behaviors.

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HOW TO USE TREATS TO FIX A BARKING HABIT

I have noticed dog owners using treats as a bribe. For example, I noticed owners give a dog a treat to stop barking. This may work for about 5 seconds, but then, the barking returns with a vengeance.

When you do this, you are teaching your dog that when they bark they get a reward, so it actually amplifies the behavior. However, there is a way to use these same treats to stop this behavior we may have been unintentionally rewarding. So, what now?

Here is the simple solution. This is not a quick fix and will require patience, time, and consistency. Wait for the dog to start barking, stand still, no words, wait for the barking to stop. It may take minutes or even hours, and then as soon as they are quiet, say "quiet". Then give the dog a yummy treat. This is challenging because it forces you to wait out the barking, and it takes a lot of patience. Once you have done this successfully about 10 times, you now have mastered the "quiet" command. When they start barking and you say "quiet", you will get what you asked for! You have made being quiet a rewarding behavior through this process, so there will be no more frustration or constant attempts to get the dog to stop barking. Now you have access to the "off" switch.

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TROUBLE SHOOT KENNEL TRAINING

To start your dog off right from the start, kennel training is a must. Dogs are place-oriented, and a kennel should represent a safe space, a place where they can go when they are overwhelmed and helps prevent separation anxiety. Here are a few obstacles we face in kennel training and some tips to help!

DOES YOUR DOG REFUSE TO GO INTO THEIR CRATE?

This is pretty common and can be frustrating, which can leave a lot of dog owners puzzled. If you give up, your dog could potty in the house, become destructive, and you can lose all control. A good way to improve this is through positive reinforcement. Take the following steps to fix the behavior:

1. Put your dog on a leash. This will help you to guide them into the crate.

2. With your dog in front of their crate, take high value treats or a toy, whatever they are more motivated by, and throw them in the crate. If your dog goes in to get the treats, praise them, and let them walk out right away. Do not shut the door!! This teaches them that the crate is not a punishment. It is where they get rewarded. Practice this about 15 minutes a day for a week, and your dog will be excited to go in their crate because now it is associated with positive things.

3. Throw treats in the crate. After your dog goes in, shut the door slowly, give them a treat while they are inside, and go ahead and go about your day!

IS THE DOG BARKING AND/OR GROWLING IN THE CRATE?

This is known as barrier reactivity, kennel stress, and barrier reactivity. This is so common, especially with rescue dogs. It is similar to when a dog barks at triggers through the fence. More likely than not, when that dog no longer has a barrier, this behavior goes away. To correct this behavior, take the following steps:

1. Make sure your dog is completely calm before entering the crate. When a dog goes into this space with heightened energy, that will lead to this type of reactivity. Wait at the crate door until they lay down or offer a sit, give them a treat in their crate, and walk away.

2. While near the crate, wait for a reaction from your dog, say your marker word for NO, move your body to block their fixation on whatever they are reactive too, wait for calmness, and then give the dog a treat. This will teach them that it is more advantageous to be quiet in their crate because positive things happen when they are not reactive.

3. Repeat, repeat, repeat! This behavior didn't happen overnight, and it will not get fixed overnight. Be consistent, celebrate little wins, and see the changes!

IS YOUR DOG DESTROYING OR ESCAPING THE CRATE?

This is separation anxiety at its best. In this case, most dogs have learned that the crate means your absence. Instead of it being a safe space, it is now a jail cell. To fix this, we have to change what the crate means to the dog. To fix this issue:

1. Practice getting your dog in and out of the crate using treats first.

2. After that, start leaving your dog in the crate for 10 minutes at a time, while you are home and then letting them out. Make sure to give the dog a treat before they get out of the crate.

3. Practice calm in and calm out. That means the dog is calm before going in and calm before being let out. When a dog goes into the crate with high energy, they are more likely to feel trapped and will try to escape.

REMEMBER

Calmness before entering and before exiting crate. Before you let the dog out of the crate, open the door a few inches. If they try to run out, close it again. Repeat this until your dog sits in the crate with the door wide open and leaves the crate when you invite them out.

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HOW TO USE YOUR DOGS NOSE TO AVOID AGGRESIVE BEHAVIOR

A dog’s nose is more important than we realize. Dogs use their nose to experience the world, it is the first sense to develop and the last sense to go. A dog’s nose is about 60% of their brain and to deprive your dog of experiencing new smells, preventing them from smelling other dogs or people before greeting them, or keeping them from butt sniffing can lead to unhealthy behavior, reactivity, and aggression.

EXAMPLE

Right now, I am working with a Pitbull puppy that is around 10 months old that has some pretty serious reactivity issues. He bites his owners if they try to put him in the crate, growls at new visitors, and has bitten 3 people, including me. The thing I noticed was that he was not using his nose to smell a new human like a normal, healthy dog. Instead, he fixated on them with his eyes. This is not normal! When a dog does not sniff a new dog or human and stares them down, it usually means that they see the person or dog they are meeting as a threat, and it can lead to a bite. As soon as I got this puppy to my house, the first thing I did was I allowed him to smell my house and the neighborhood as much as he wanted for an hour. After that, I introduced him to my dogs, and he displayed healthy dog behavior by sniffing rear ends and avoiding direct eye contact. Now, he greets people with his nose first and does not display the fixated stare.

EASY WAYS TO GET YOUR DOG USING THIER NOSE

1. THE "FIND IT GAME"

This is a super easy game and fun for all! To start, take a handful of training treats, throw them on the floor, and then say "find". Your dog will use their nose to sniff out the treats. To progress this game further, as soon as your dog gets the premise, start to hide the treats in harder to find places and say “find”. The dog will use their nose intently to sniff out their reward. You can even progress it further by moving it to the backyard.

2. GO TO NEW PLACES

Your dog will eventually stop being enthusiastic about using their nose if they are stuck in the house or only have one location where they get walked. Introduce your dog to new places to smell. This will help build your dog’s confidence by allowing him to do natural dog behavior.

3. SOCIALIZE

When you want to introduce your dog to a new human or dog, introduce them as smell first. If your dog greets a new dog with eyes first, there will most likely be a fight. Have people bend down, avoid eye contact, and let the dog come to them by air sniffing them first. Once that happens, the stranger can then give the dog affection.

IMPORTANT

When you get your dog exploring the world with their nose first, you can avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as reactivity and aggression. These behaviors are not the problems! They are the outcome of the problem. 15 minutes of nose work is equivalent to a mile and a half walk! Keep that in mind! A tired dog is a happy dog, and a dog that uses his nose first is a healthy dog.

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HOW TO ESTABLISH HEALTHY LEADERSHIP WITH YOUR DOG

The best way to start your relationship with your new dog is to establish boundaries. The healthiest way to acclomate a new dog in the home is to establish boundaries right off the bat and let them earn thier freedom. This is not mean! By teaching your dog the rules you can prevent problem behaviors from the start.

HOW

When you first get a dog start out with these rules to get the relationship you want. All dogs are pack animals and they all follow one leader. Let this leader be you and you will have a healthy dog, a well adjusted dog, and a dog you can trust.

1. START WITH THRESHOLDS

Dogs are place oriented creatures who learn environmentally. In order to have leadership in every environment make your dog sit at the door with it open but do not let them come in. Stay with the door open and your dog in a calm sit outside the door and then, you walk in first and have the dog follow you. Now you have become the leader in the dogs eyes, the one he can trust to lead him through this world.

2. CRATE TRAINING

Dogs need a space to feel safe, especially a new rescue dog. If you do not start out with this boundary, in my experience, dogs develop reactivity, become territorial, and lose respect for thier human. This is a very common reason dogs get returned to the shelter and is a very easy protocol to follow. Remember the crate is not mean it helps the dog feel safe. Before you let your dog out of the crate make sure they are calm no exceptions. It may take awhile the first few times. Start by opening the crate door just alittle, your dog will most likely try to run out, but shut the door again and continue this process until you can open the door all the way with your dog in a sit. Dogs react they do not reason. An excited dog is a reactive dog and leads to behavioral such as jumping, barking, and you have lost your control.

3. BOUNDARIES AROUND FOOD

When you feed your new dog I would start by feeding them in the crate the first few days. Put a leash on your dog and put the food down. Pop the leash a few times to keep the dog from going for the food right away, as soon as they are calm release them to eat. You can transfer this to your normal feeding routine outside of the kennel and continue to work on your dogs self control around food by waiting for calmness. This will keep the dog from becoming food aggresive, stealing food, and increases your leadership because the dog knows that the food comes from you not from the ground.

REMEMBER

Boundaries are not cruel they teach the dog what you expect and prevent them from behaviors you do not want in a way they understand. If you do not establish boundaries and reprimand the dog for making a mistake that is your fault. You have to show your dog the rules in order for them to follow them.

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HOW TO KEEP YOUR DOG FROM RUNNING AWAY

This post is inspired by all the missing dog posts on Facebook and Nextdoor! I have once also had this happen to me, and I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone. Here are some simple steps to follow to prevent your dog from ever wanting to run away in the first place.

THRESHOLDS

This is extremely important for you and your dogs, and I rarely see it discussed. In order to build a healthy relationship with your dog, you must own every doorway and threshold, i.e. inside and outside the front door and in and out of the kennel, bedroom, and the back door. If you own the thresholds, your dog(s) will not rush the door or try to run away because you have taught them that you own it. Before leaving the room or the house, the dog must sit, and you must always leave first. Once outside the room or home, make the dog sit before proceeding. Again, you are the leader. Before you allow the dog into the yard, make the dog sit, wait 20 seconds, and then release the dog. When the dog is ready to come inside, make it sit, wait 20 seconds, and let it in. Being consistent with these boundaries will allow you to eventually have the front door wide open and not worry about your dog running out of it. RECALL

This is a perfect time to put your positive reinforcement skills to work! Start this process inside home first. With your dog in a sitting position, walk away 2 ft, say "come", and reward the dog when the dog comes to you. Continue this step until you can call the dog to you from another room. Then move to the backyard, using the same process, but use a long leash. Doing this allows you to coax the dog to you if the dog does not come when you call to avoid poisoning the cue and lets it know it is not a request, it is not optional, and their compliance will be rewarded with praise and reward. Next, move to the front yard with the long leash. Use the same process until you feel confident to try off leash. Make coming to you so rewarding that running away is less advantageous than coming when called.

PROVIDE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STIMULATION

Obedience training is not solely for having a well-behaved dog, buT also serves as a way to stimulate learning in your dog’s brain. This is also true with puzzles, fetch, bones, and toys. The goal is to have your dog mentally occupied so they don't seek out stimulation from escaping. Also, don't forget the walk! It is not just exercise, it is bonding. The walk symbolizes a connection and relationship to your dog. The dog will begin to see you as the person that takes them to see the world, and it will only want to experience it by your side. I'm here for your training questions!

ARE YOU ADDRESSING YOUR DOG'S MENTAL HEALTH?

Most of us are aware of the implications of bad mental health in humans and its impact on thier behaviors.  For example, an individual with anxiety may shake, breathe fast and shallow, have an increased heart rate, and hightened negative emotions.and show distressed  behavior such as uncontrollable crying, increased fear of people or situations, and in some cases self harm.  Some behavioral issues arise as an attempt to control thier environment in order to decrease this feeling.  For example, some suffers refuse to leave thier home and start showing antisocial behavior like lack of eye contact, weak voice, or head forward posture. 
  How do we help our fellow humans suffering from something like this? Using human psychology, we would comfort that person with hugs or an empathetic ear, they could go to therapy, find support groups, and practice calming techniques and exercises. These solutions can help someone suffering from this to be able to manage it, make it less severe during an episode, and gives them tools to access when they are in the midst of an episode to self soothe or reach out for support.

How can we do this for dogs?

Let's use the same example.  An anxious dog may shake, breathe fast and shallow, an increased heart rate and may or may not show distressed behavior in the form of anxious barking, digging, running in circles, fear of people and situations, reactivity, and sometimes self harm.

How would we help this dog?

Using human psychology, we would comfort that dog with affection, we would tell them "it,s ok", give them a treat or toy, and offer empathetic feelings.  The problem is our intentions and our messages are crossed.  Our intentions are to comfort but the messages not delivered in the way a dog understands. I. Order to get your intentions to match your actions we have to think in dog terms.  For example providing affection to an anxious person offers comfort, in contrast for an anxious dog this affection means you like it when they are anxious because they only repeat states of mind they get attention for.  If you talk to them it increases the anxiety because they again are getting attention for being in an unbalanced state of mind.  So our intention to comfort a dog has in fact increased the anxiety of the dog.  It is important for us to think in terms of our intention and how it is recieved.  The anxious dog is always on high alert, reactive, can fear bite ect.  This unhealthy unwanted behavior can be fixed by taking our human intention and putting it in terms a dog understands.  In this instance it is best to stay calm, ignore the dog until it is able to calm itself down, then when the dog is physically relaxed then you give all the affection in the world.  Now you are giving attention to a calm healthy state of mind.  If we are thinking in human terms it might be viewed as unfeeling to ignore a dog in this fearful stressed state.  However silence helps dogs relax, words can increase fear, and you are not withholding affection you are just saving it for the appropriate time in order for your intention of providing comfort is communicated in a way the dog understands so you get the empathetic result you want. 
This is just an example of how our understanding of human empathy and its intentions are not being communicated the way we would like our dogs to recieve it.  To love a dog in the healthiest way it is important to understand how they want and recieve love, and to show your love on a way they can understand.

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