Traing Pets:
The first few articles come from a great web site put out in part by the Veterinary School at the University of Minnesota. I wanted to be sure to give the author Dr. Green credit for these articles not only because it's the right thing to do, but because they're so well written. There are a lot of different and whacky ideas about pet behavior and animal training out there...some of them very good and insightful...but the training philosophies espoused in the following articles are basic and sound. Thank you, Dr Green. For further articles on similar subjects, visit their web site:
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Edited by Dr. Peggy Root and Heather George
Reviewed by Dr. Petra Mertens
Topics on This Page
House Breaking a Puppy
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
To successfully housebreak your puppy, you must commit the time, have patience, and give consistent, clear communications. In fact, before you even think of bringing a puppy home, plan to take 1-2 weeks off work, so you have uninterrupted time to focus on the new pup. Otherwise, it will take much longer to train your pup where to go, and you will be much more frustrated. And avoid getting a puppy in winter if you are in a cold climate. The foul weather and snow make it that much harder to convince your new pup to go outside.
Some of what we'll tell you here will seem counter-intuitive, but trust us, it works. Also, many commonly held beliefs about dog behavior and how to train pups are quite incorrect, so be prepared to let go of incorrect information you may have been given.
Puppies, like people, learn new skills at different rates, so be patient. Even if you think she should "get it by now", you're asking her to make several leaps of understanding. It will take a while for her to develop the solid understanding of where she is to go, and where she is NOT to go. Her understanding of what is her den, and therefore not to be soiled, versus what is non-den is quite different from your perspective. It will take her a while to consistently understand that ALL areas of the house are den, and therefore not to be soiled.
First of all, puppies need to urinate and defecate frequently, sometimes as often as once an hour. There will be many accidents, especially at first. Never lose your temper at the pup, and always use simple, consistent one- or two-word commands. Otherwise, your pup could become frightened and confused about what you expect of her.
Learn to notice the clues that indicate your puppy needs to go. These include restlessness, sniffing the floor, or returning to a previously soiled spot. Also, your pup will need to go about 5-20 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. When you take her outside to go, take her to the same spot each time, and don't play with her at that time. You want her to focus on one thing only -- going in the right area. As soon as she goes, praise and reward her enthusiastically, and give her a small food treat to reinforce that she did the right thing. While she's going, just tell her "good girl" very softly so you don't interrupt her. Save the enthusiasm for when she's done.
While you're going through housebreaking, you must keep the puppy close to you at ALL times, so that she does not have the opportunity to fail. This means starting the puppy out in a small area of the house and following her nonstop. Alternatively, attach one end of a leash to her and the other end to you, so that the pup is no farther away from you than the end of the leash, and you can watch her more easily as you do other things around the house.
When you are not able to watch the puppy, then she goes into a kennel. Or, if you have a fenced yard and the weather is good and there is nothing harmful she could get into, you can put her outside. However putting her outside when you aren't watching her means you lose the opportunity to reward her for going outside as she should. The kennel is a preferable training tool. A young pup 7-9 weeks old should be in a kennel for no more than 2 hours at a time; she can't hold her urine or feces for longer than that.
If you catch her in the act of going in the house, you can do one of two things. The most common advice previously given was to correct her with a firm "NO" and immediately take her to the proper toilet area. This may not effectively discourage her from going indoors. What often happens instead is that puppies learn to make sure you aren't watching when they go indoors, so they go behind the couch, in a closet, etc.
Newer understanding of dog behavior says that instead of punishing on the spot, you do everything you can to prevent indoor accidents. If they happen, ignore them. (This is the counter-intuitive part). You don't want to give the dog ANY attention for this mistake. Simply put her in her kennel, or outside, when she's finished, say nothing to her, don't even look at her, and clean up the mess thoroughly using an enzymatic cleaner. Then redouble your efforts to get her out before she has an accident, and keep her confined in a kennel that she will be unlikely to soil when you can't watch her.
Don't spank a pup for her accidents! She's going through an important learning phase and needs a lot of your patience. You'll likely frighten or confuse her if you physically punish her. And NEVER punish a puppy after the fact. Let me repeat that. NEVER punish a puppy after the fact!! Remember, any time you correct a puppy, she will think she is being punished for whatever she is doing at the time you correct her. That's why you can only correct her (gently!) when you catch her in the act (if you choose to go that route - see above caution about unintended consequences when you punish a dog for going in the house).
Also, never rub a puppy's nose in her accidents -- that will only frighten her and may encourage her to eat her droppings. It does not train her to stop going in that spot. She is not capable of making the reasoning leap that this is an area she previously soiled, and that's why you're punishing her. Dogs are oriented to the present. Unpleasant experiences (like having her nose rubbed in urine or feces) will be associated with what she just did - which in this case was likely coming to you. How eager will she be to come to you if she keeps having these unpleasant experiences associated with coming to you?
So when you discover a soiled area, don't show it to your puppy or scold her for it, merely clean it up promptly using a product designed to eliminate pet stains and odors. The newer enzyme-based products available at veterinary clinics are very effective at removing stains and odors. And remember, don't let her watch you cleaning soiled areas. Why not? Because if she's in the middle of your cleaning process, she can smell the odor of her own urine and feces, and you fussing with it is giving her a kind of attention.
So then you might say, OK, if she recognizes that this is her soiled spot, why can't I punish her for it after the fact? Because, although she recognizes her own scent, she can't make the leap of understanding that you are punishing her for depositing it there sometime earlier. Punishment is ALWAYS linked in a dog's mind to what has JUST happened at the time of the punishment. The same goes for rewards. You must reward good behavior promptly, or you could inadvertently reward the wrong behavior.
New pups should be confined to smaller areas of the house at first. A house seems large and overwhelming to a pup, and makes it harder for her to differentiate between indoors and outdoors. At night or when you are gone, your pup should be confined to her kennel, which rapidly becomes her own special den. Dogs are less likely to soil their den area, and this helps with their training.
If you take her outside when you think she has to go and nothing happens, bring her inside and put her in her kennel for 5-15 minutes. Then take her outside again for a few minutes. Repeat this cycle until she goes. As soon as she goes, then she can stay outside her kennel. This kind of routine helps her focus on going when you want her to go. Also, be sure to pair some word or two with her act of going, so she will associate that with relieving herself. This is very handy when you're traveling, or on cold winter nights when you want her to go quickly.
As she starts to get the routine, start training her to also go while on the leash, in areas other than your yard, and on varied surfaces. That way, when you travel, she will have the confidence and experience to go wherever you need her to go.
You and your dog will make lots of mistakes during this time. None of us trains with perfection. That's OK! Your dog will do fine as long as you strive to be as consistent as possible. Your occasional training errors and frustrations (we all go through this) will not permanently scar your dog. Dogs are quite resiliant.
In summary, what you need to do is be very attentive to her, pay attention to her signals (they can be subtle) that she has to go, and enthusiastically reward her for going outside. While she's in the act of going, tell her "good dog" very softly so you don't interrupt her. After she's done, then get more enthusiastic. Pair some word with her going outside so she learns to go on command. Kennel her when you can't directly watch her. Do anything you can to prevent mistakes. You don't want her to get used to indoors as an optional place to go. It is MUCH easier to train her if she has little opportunity to fail.
With patience, time and persistence, you can successfully housebreak your pup.
Training with Positive Discipline
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Things have changed a lot since you raised your last puppy 20 years ago. New understanding of animal behavior has led to a veritable revolution in the methods used to train most domestic animals, including horses and cattle. But the greatest amount of research has gone into man's best friend, and at long last we know how to treat our dogs with the gentle firmness they crave.
If you've been reading about parenting human children the past few years, you've probably heard a lot about "positive discipline." You've been told to catch your kids being good and reward them for it. The same principle applies to raising a puppy, and it works just as well as it does for kids.
Practicing Positive Discipline
Step One: Decide what behavior you want.
Step Two: Reward it.
Step Three: Ignore any behavior that is not the one you want.
Notice--we are not punishing the behaviors we don't want. Punishment is a form of attention, and attention is what dogs want most of all. They'd rather be yelled at or even hit with a rolled-up newspaper than be ignored. A behavior you ignore will go away faster than one you punish. A behavior you reward will happen more frequently.
Example: Do you want your dog to jump up on you in greeting? If not, what do you want him to do? If you want him to wriggle around happily but keep his paws on the ground, it's helpful to start modifying his behavior toward that end from the very first day you get him. (If he's already in the habit of jumping up, it's not too late--it'll just take longer for him to get the new idea!)
So you come into the room, and your puppy jumps on you. IGNORE IT. Keep walking. Don't say anything. If he gets no attention from you, there's no reason for the dog to keep jumping up. But don't forget Step Number Two. When your puppy finally has all four feet on the ground, immediately reward him by giving him attention. Now he has learned a valuable lesson. He has learned that jumping up gets him nowhere; and just as importantly, he has learned that standing squarely on the ground does get him attention.
Has he learned for once and for all not to jump up? Not yet. But if you consistently ignore his jumping, and consistently pet him and praise him when his feet are on the ground, he will jump up less and less, and stare at you adoringly from the floor awaiting your attention. (Which you will never fail to give him.)
One more example: If you are using a crate for housebreaking, first of all, good for you! Next, you probably don't want your puppy to whine and cry the whole time he's in the crate. OK, that's the behavior you don't want. So what do you do when he whines and cries? That's right-IGNORE IT. What is the behavior you do want? Silence? So only let him out of the crate when he's quiet. This can be trickier in practice than it sounds. It involves hiding behind corners and then running to the crate quickly before he starts that racket again. . . but if you are consistent about ignoring the noise and rewarding the quiet, pretty soon you'll have a reasonably quiet dog.
As you can see, it's necessary to decide what you want from your dog so you know when to praise and when to ignore. And if you make a mistake and yell instead of ignoring, well, the world isn't going to come to an end. You haven't ruined your dog for life. You'll just have to admit your mistake and start over again. Hey, these are dogs--they know we're only human!
So how do you intervene when you need to stop a behavior?
Yes, there are times when simply ignoring a behavior isn't enough. Sometimes you'll need to stop a behavior to prevent your dog from injuring itself or another, for example.
One of the most useful sounds you can learn to make is the puppy "arp!" This is a short high-pitched yipping sound similar to what puppies say to each other to indicate "stop!" This is how puppies learn their limits when playing with each other, and it works for you as well. It's a language puppies and dogs instantly recognize; it needs no translation.
If you've ever seen puppies play, you've seen how they tumble, chase and chew on each other. When one is playing too rough or biting too hard, the other will give out that short "arp" sound, which tells the other pup to back off, and it works. You'll hear that sound a lot as pups figure out what's OK and not OK with each other. It's the same sound a pup would make if someone accidentally stepped on his tail, for example. It's a very effective form of puppy "ouch!"
Unfortunately, once a pup goes to a new home, he no longer has a common language with which to communicate with his new pack. Learning the "arp" is an excellent way to interrupt undesirable behaviors that you can't simply ignore, and helps you set limits for your pup. This helps him quickly understand how to fit in with his new pack.
Here's how to use it effectively. Say your puppy is playing with you and starts chewing on you or your clothing. Immediately give a short high-pitched "arp!" Your pup will stop, but only briefly. As soon as she stops, withdraw whatever she was chewing on, and give her an acceptable substitute. Then praise her for chewing on the right thing. Or you can follow the "arp" with a command such as sit, and praise her for the sit. The important point is to immediately stop the undesired behavior, replace it with an acceptable behavior, and reward the right behavior. Be sure to spend as much time as possible catching her in the act of doing the right thing and rewarding that, so she won't be so busy trying out a variety of unwelcome behaviors just to get your attention!
It's also OK to train your pup or dog to a short, loud "No!" You can even pair the "no" with the "arp," saying "no" once immediately after saying "arp." Pairing something the pup already knows with a novel sound or gesture is how professional behaviorists train animals to respond to a variety of words or gestures. It's very useful. But remember, use "no" sparingly, and only if the pup or dog is doing something that really MUST be stopped (such as injury to itself or another), and cannot just be ignored. Too many "no's" will frighten, intimidate and often confuse a pup (just like with children). A few well-placed "no's" are much more effective than a constant stream of them.
So what other fun behavior modification things can you do?
·
When housebreaking your pup, keep repeating the same word over and over while she's outside for toilet time, until she actually goes. Then vigorously reward her. After a while, she'll go on command whenever she's outside and hears the magic word. This is very handy when the weather is foul. Be sure to make it a unique sound that she's not likely to hear often. You don't want her to respond while she's in the living room, for example.
·Pair her verbal commands such as "sit," "down," "stay" with hand signals these are usually taught in most obedience classes. Once she knows the behaviors you're trying to teach, and understands the association with particular hand gestures, you can show off all her terrific behaviors using just hand signals! (It's how the Hollywood dogs are trained to do complex behaviors onscreen).
Don't forget: Always use lots of rewards and patience when teaching new behaviors. Your pet will need to succeed at many "baby steps" to eventually get to the right behavior. Catch your dog in the act of doing the right thing and reward her enthusiastically. Make training sessions short and fun, and always end each training session on a positive note, so your dog will always be able to succeed.
Most important of all have fun with your training! When it's done with positive reinforcement, it's a game and a delight, not a chore!
Dogs Need Leaders
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
You may think it's obvious that you are your dog's leader. . . you make the decisions and you pay the bills, don't you? But if your dog is ill-mannered or worse, he doesn't recognize your leadership, even if you are the one who buys the dog food and snaps the leash on his collar for walks. Dogs are not just four-legged, hairy little people. They speak a different language than we do, a language based on body posture and behavior. They don't know about bills. They do know about announcing the arrival of strangers, guarding against invaders, and monitoring their group's social life (who sleeps where, who strokes whom, who gets fed first, etc.) These are the responsibilities of a canine leader. If you are having trouble with your dog in any of these areas -- does he jump on guests, beg at the table or insist on sleeping on the furniture?--then he thinks he is the leader!
To your dog, a leader is someone who makes the following decisions:
When do I eat?
Where do I sleep?
When do I go outside?
Who goes through the door first?
When do I come in?
When will petting start? When will petting stop?
When do I play?
What will I play?
When does playtime end?
What shall I bark at? How long will I bark?
What will I investigate on a walk?
The more of these decisions you make, the more of a leader you are to your dog. The more he can count on your leadership, the less he has to worry about. As you assert your leadership, your dog will become less anxious, less annoying, and very possibly less aggressive.
Reclaiming Your Leadership
How, then, do you act like a leader your dog can recognize? First, a few things not to do. You do not establish leadership by yelling at your dog, and you do not establish leadership by spanking him, hitting him with a rolled-up newspaper, or rolling him onto his back in the dreadfully dangerous "alpha rollover." You do it by teaching your dog to perform a deferential behavior, and insisting he show his deference to you at all those crucial decision-making times listed above.
What the heck is a "deferential behavior"?
"SIT." Yes, commanding your dog to sit at the right time will go a long way towards establishing your leadership. The behavior modification concept involved here is sometimes called "Nothing in Life is Free," because by sitting on command your dog earns the interaction that follows.
So that you do not need to remember which circumstances are the ones that your dog considers leadership issues, the rule for establishing leadership is as follows:
Your dog must sit promptly at your command to earn anything and everything he wants or needs, from now on, for the rest of his life.
If your dog does not sit reliably on your command, see the section on "Teaching Your Dog to Sit." Once he has mastered "sit," use it! He'll be sitting on command many times a day. He'll be sitting so much that pretty soon he'll sit before you even tell him to. . . and that's great, for two reasons. First, he is voluntarily showing deference to you, and that means you' re becoming more of a leader in his eyes. And second, a dog that is sitting is a dog that isn't getting into trouble!
As your efforts to reclaim your leadership take root, several things may happen. Sometimes things get worse before they get better. Your dog may challenge you as you assert yourself, or he may escalate his obnoxious behaviors, tempting you to yell and hit. Don't be misled by these setbacks into thinking you're making things worse! They will get better if you stick with the program!
A few tips for dealing with the setbacks:
Ignore your dog's attempts at leadership, or turn them to your advantage. Let's say your dog insists on being petted while you're trying to relax in front of the TV. Will he go away if you ignore him? Probably not--most dogs have learned that if you're being ignored, just make yourself more of a nuisance until you get the attention you crave. (So what if it's a curse and a slap? Negative attention is still attention!) So at his very first attempt to get your hand on his head, withdraw whatever body part is touching him and command him to sit. When he does, reward him by petting him briefly, then dismiss him. You're the one who inadvertently taught him to be a pest--now you can teach him to ask to be petted, and to be petted only as a reward for obeying your command.
If you need more physical control to get your dog to obey your commands, use a Gentle Leader head collar with a light line dangling from it so you can instantly have control of your dog without risk of getting nipped. Talk to your veterinarian about how to properly use this humane and effective training aid.
The Basics of Dog Training
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Did you know...
-that 30% of all pups adopted from animal shelters are relinquished by their owners within the first 12 months?
-that after two years, 70% of those dogs will no longer be with their original adopting families?
-that 90% of owners with dogs they have had for 5 years or more have one or more behaviors they would like to change in their dogs?
There are running debates within the veterinary behaviorist community about whether undesirable behavior in dogs is a result of nature or nurture. Many behaviorists are strongly in the nurture camp, insisting that most all dogs can be turned into good pets with the right training and environment. Others lean to the nature side, insisting that dogs are born with most of their personality traits; training and environment will merely shape what's already there.
Dogs are indeed born with certain characteristics that will be expressed to some degree regardless of how they are raised. Some dogs are more extreme in the expression of their inborn characteristics. However, almost all behaviors can be accentuated or reduced, depending on how one interacts with the dog. While we don't know the exact mix of how much genetics versus environment contribute to a dog's disposition, we know environment will have a major impact on certain areas such as how confident your dog is (rather than timid or fearful), how well-socialized she is, how well she follows your directions, how trustworthy she is around other people and children, and whether she is well-mannered.
FIRST RULE OF DOG TRAINING
Dogs speak with their bodies. Unfortunately, humans are very good at misinterpreting what dogs are saying. We often ascribe our own thoughts, feelings and values to our pets. That is often not accurate, and can cause some real confusion for us and the dog.
SECOND RULE OF DOG TRAINING
Dogs live in a pack. Dogs living with humans interact with the family members in the same fashion they do with other dogs. To a dog, where they are in the pack (that is, are they the top, or alpha, dog [dominant] or the bottom dog [submissive]) is a primary concern at all times. The dog interprets your behavior as your indication of where you are in the pack, too. Bearing this in mind, let's look at some examples.
1) A dog that keeps trying to put his paw over your arm is saying:
A) I like you.
B) Please pet me.
C) I want to dominate you.
D) I have to go outside.
Most people guess A or B. The real answer is C. This dog is trying to control interaction with you. If you allow the dog to determine the starting or stopping of games, you may enable certain dogs to dominate you. Dogs express dominance to each other by putting their heads, paws, or entire bodies over each other. So by gently placing your hand over your puppy's head and shoulders frequently, you let him know that you are the leader. That gives him a comfortable place in his family "pack", which he craves. If you allow him to put those paws over you, and reward him by petting him, you've reinforced the idea that he's in charge and does not have to listen to you. This does not mean you should try to dominate dogs by forcing them to the ground. To do so is to endanger yourself and the dog. If you are working with a dominant, aggressive animal, you should call a veterinary behaviorist.
2) A strange dog is greeting you with ears erect and forward. He's standing very tall with all his weight shifted to the front of his body. His tail is erect, and moving slightly from side to side. He's staring at you directly. Would you walk up and pet him?
A) No of course not. He's showing me assertiveness or aggression.
B) Of course, there's no problem. He's regarding me with friendly curiosity.
The answer is A. These are direct physical indicators of a dog telling you to leave him alone.
3) When your dog greets you, she slinks toward you with her head lowered and her tail tucked under her legs. As soon as you lean over her, she rolls on her back and keeps looking away from you. What's going on here?
A) She's done something naughty and is looking guilty.
B) She's a wimp.
C) She's acknowledging your leadership and is soliciting attention respectfully.
The answer is C. Instead of being grateful that they own a dog that has automatically accepted their leadership, some people are convinced this properly respectful dog has done something wrong and is acting guilty. The poor dog has no idea why you, in their mind the alpha dog, are yelling. As far as the dog knows, you're yelling at her for greeting you. So next greeting will be even more submissive and the dog may even start urinating submissively on greeting to show you that she's really no threat so you, the alpha dog, won't yell.
If your dog chews on objects during your absence, punishment after the fact will not stop her from doing this the next day. You have to determine the causes (separation anxiety, puppy chewing, etc) in order to treat this successfully. If you punish this submissive dog, this becomes a self-perpetuating problem, unless you break the cycle by recognizing your dog's behavior as submissive.
4) You have a 1-year-old Irish Setter. You take her for a walk on a leash for at least 30 minutes each morning, and for 45 minutes every night. You walk fairly briskly. During the day, she's alone in the house. You now have to keep her in the bathroom because she's destroyed every other room in the house. Now she's started to lick the skin raw on one of her paws. What's happening?
A) She's just a bad dog. Send her back to the breeder
B) She may suffer from a behavior problem, like separation anxiety.
C) She's being spiteful, to make you feel guilty for working all day.
D) She needs more exercise.
Both B and D are correct. This is a very high-energy dog, bred to go at a brisk pace for hours. She needs a job compatible with her high energy level. Walking by itself is inadequate exercise for her and most dogs, especially working breeds. Your brisk walking pace may be slow plod for her. Dogs may develop a variety of behavioral or even health problems if they are not given a lot of vigorous exercise daily. In addition to the daily walks, allow off-leash exercise in safe and designated areas, encourage play and social interaction with other dogs, and/or train the dog to provide additional physical and mental stimulation (obedience, tracking, agility, etc.). Visit our sections on "FunStuff.html" and "PosDisc.html".
Talk to your veterinarian, go to obedience training clubs, find out from veterinary and behavioral experts what normal behavior is for your dog and how to interpret what your dog is doing. That's the first step to getting your dog's behavior and your relationship with her back on track. Work with the experts or join an obedience training club to learn how to effectively communicate with your dog, how to prevent problems, and how to work through problems that already exist.
Preventing puppies from biting and chewing
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Puppies naturally explore the world with their mouths. The tastes and textures of objects in their environment help them to learn about their world. They spend several months shedding their baby teeth and growing in their adult teeth, which also stimulates them to chew. It is normal for them to chew. What they must learn is what is appropriate for them to chew on. Here are some pointers on preventing your puppy's biting and chewing:
·The most important learning period for puppies is 4 to 16 weeks of age. From birth to approximately 8 weeks of age, a puppy is mostly learning from her mother and litter mates. The pup should also have generous amounts of gentle human handling during this time to prepare her for her new home.
·Around 8 weeks of age, most pups are separated from their litter and sent to their new homes. The next 8 weeks are critical for pups to learn how to interact with their new families and environments.
·A new pup should not have free rein of the house at first. Keep him mostly in a smaller, easily cleaned room, such as a kitchen. Provide him with acceptable chew toys, many of which are available at pet stores or veterinary clinics. Do not give him discarded shoes or clothing, as he will not be able to differentiate between old and new clothing. Never strike or yell at your pup. You will only frighten him. Gently discourage unwanted behavior and reward good behavior verbally and with food treats.
·When approaching or playing with your pup, or during training sessions, keep your hand closed in a fist so that your fingers are not available for chewing. It is much harder for her to chew on your fist, and it makes a less interesting toy for her. If the pup tries to chew on your hand, remove it from her, even put it behind your back, and promptly give her a more appropriate toy to chew on. Be sure to immediately redirect to what is okay for her to chew on
·Make sure that your puppy, and your adult dog, get plenty of exercise. A growing puppy or adult dog that has too little exercise will start looking for something to do, which frequently includes inappropriate chewing and destruction. Dogs are complex, social animals that need a job to do; that job includes vigorous daily exercise.
Training the Aggressive Pet
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Animals may be born with certain behavioral tendencies such as fearfulness or confidence. These traits can be strongly shaped for better or worse by yourselves and by the environment in which the animal is kept.
To help prevent behavioral problems:
If you're buying a dog, make sure you can see one if not both of your puppy's parents, ideally more than once. The dispositions of the parents are likely to be passed to the pups. Watch the pups at play, and avoid the most dominant and the most timid. Make sure you can handle the pup easily, that it is attracted to humans, and that it relaxes in your arms with gentle restraint. Make sure the breeder keeps accurate health records on all her dogs, and that she has done any testing for genetic problems that are appropriate for the breed.
Proper training of puppies:
From 4 to 12 weeks of age is a critical socialization period for dogs. During that time, they are most open to accepting new experiences. The experiences of the first 8 weeks of life are up to the breeder; the next 8 are under your control. This is the time to get your new pup used to a large variety of stimuli. Introduce you pup to the mail person, and have him/her give your pup a treat of your choosing. Introduce your pup to friends and strangers of different ages, genders, races, etc., and have them give her treats. Take her to puppy kindergarten where she'll be well socialized with other pups and people and where you will learn the beginnings of properly shaping her behavior in a way that is fun for her and gets results for you. Take her for rides in the car, and take her for short fun visits at the vet's office, so it doesn't become a scary place. Continue training and socialization after puppy class and throughout adolescence and puberty.
Handle your pup all over her body during this time. Let her know that no area is off limits. If she objects to being handled somewhere, don't let go of that part until she relaxes and "gives". If you let go when she's struggling, then she's won and knows she can get her way by putting up a fight. Gently put your hand over her shoulder and neck from time to time to reinforce that you are the pack leader. Also, take her food away and give it back while she's eating. Take food out of her mouth. She needs to learn to tolerate this from the start. Teach her "sit" by holding a treat just above her head so she has to look up. Her bottom automatically drops down. Tell her "sit" when she's in that position and give her the treat. Repeat this often. Have her do a "sit" before she gets anything to eat.
Make all training very short, fun, and consistent. Use only positive reinforcement, never lose your temper and never strike or use abusive training, no matter what your pet is doing. That will introduce unwanted fearful or aggressive behaviors and could injure them.
Take advantage of several good resources to help you choose, care for, and properly train your pet to be an excellent addition to the family. Some good titles include: "The perfect puppy: How to choose your dog by its behavior" by Benjamin and Lynette Hart; "The right dog for you" by Daniel Tortora; "How to raise a puppy you can live with" by Clarice Rutherford and David Neil; and "Dog behavior and training: Veterinary advice for owners" by Lowell Ackerman, DVM. Some of the best training video tapes are by Ian Dunbar, a British DVM and behavior expert who gives excellent advice and concrete, easy to understand examples. You will see many of your own inappropriate behaviors on the tape, and many of your dog's bad habits, and you'll learn how to prevent and correct them. Also, see our sections on "ChooseDog.html" and "pickPup.html", or contact this website for further suggestions.
Retraining an aggressive animal:
If you have an aggressive animal, there are steps that must be taken for the safety of your and your family.
Step #1: - Recognize that an aggressive animal is a potential danger to all humans and must be trained or removed from your home.
Step #2: - Assess what causes the aggression. Is it directed toward other dogs, strangers, family members, or something else? Are dogs fighting over food, toys, or attention? Is your dog snarling and snapping when you try to groom him?
Step #3: - Stop whatever you're doing to elicit the behavior. Remember, much of this is under your control, directly or indirectly. If your dogs are fighting over food, get two dishes and always feed them in separate rooms. If your dog is constantly nipping at your hand, keep your hand in a fist when you're near her mouth so your tempting fingers are not accessible, and don't play mouthy, rough games with her. Give her an approved toy to chew on. Get a Gentle Leader or Promise halter to keep your dog under control and reinforce your position as leader. The beauty of these halters is that they work with the dog's natural behaviors and relieve you of trying to strong-arm your dog into control. Make sure your dog has plenty of exercise to expend her pent-up energy.
Step #4: - Call your veterinarian and have him/her refer you to an animal behaviorist, if necessary. Don't put it off, you need immediate help to tailor a program for your animal's particular behavior problem and personality. You need to learn the right things to do to eliminate this behavior and avoid other problems in the future, and this can only be done by a qualified professional. Unless you see a person trained in behavior modification who has a variety of techniques available and can tailor the treatment to your pet, your chance of success is low. Also, some animals may need dietary modification, lengthy desensitization, or even temporary drug therapy to help change the undesirable behavior. Only a veterinary behaviorist has all these tools available.
Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Edited by Dr. Peggy Root
Reviewed by Dr. Petra Mertens
Behavior Problems: Links, articles and comments about specific pet problems:
Coprophagia:
Coprohagia is the technical term for eating feces.
Possible causes include mineral or other nutritional deficiencies, but it's more likely to be boredom or for other psychological reasons. And many normal dogs will eat cat stools or the stools from other animals...usually without any ill effects except for maybe a little diarrhea.
Here's what we can do: If a dog is eating it's own feces, we usually try giving it FORBID, a safe and inexpensive treatment that often works. It costs about $10 for a few days worth of this p
