Dog Training Articles

I believe one of the most misunderstood areas of dog behavior is the relationship between a dog and a child. Most children who are bitten receive the bite from their own dog or a friend’s or relative’s dog.

Dogs are pack animals and when they are adopted by a family they become a member of the human pack. They often try to establish their position by challenging members and small children are the most likely to be challenged.

There are many techniques that the adults in the household can use to reduce dominance. I find one of the most important issues is height. Dogs living in homes with small children should not be elevated on beds or furniture. Whenever possible, try to keep children higher than the dog. Small children should not be crawling on the floor with the dog. This places a dog at an equal level.

Rough play and wrestling with a dog should never be allowed. It teaches a dog to treat humans like other dogs. Chasing games teach dogs to run away or to chase and nip children.

Have children play fetch games with the dog and teach an exchange (i.e., a treat for a toy). Always monitor the play between dog and child. Help children do lure and reward-based training. It will help establish respect for the child and a close bond between them.

Adults should desensitize their dog to everything a child might do. Let the dog nibble on a special treat while you handle their ears, feet, tail and face. They should not react in a negative way when you handle them or bump into them. You should use treats to give them a positive association with being handled.

There are some very good books on child-dog relationships. If you are concerned about your dog with children be sure you call a trainer that specializes in behavior. They can help you assess the situation and discern if your dog is fearful or dominant. They can help you reduce dominance and build confidence.

A confident, tolerant dog can be a wonderful companion to your children and teach them responsibility and sensitivity.

Is the perfect dog you adopted 3 months ago suddenly turning into a monster? There is a definite "honeymoon" period for most dogs in new homes, where they may appear very reserved or on their best behavior. The "honeymoon" simply refers to a period of time the dog needs to adjust to his new environment, pack, leaders, rules, etc. Many people are caught off guard thinking they found a dog that fits easily and naturally into their home with little to no adjustment. They mistakenly allow too much freedom. They may be surprised, even shocked as the true dog emerges.

I observed this phenomenon with Flash, a Border Collie mix I found. She'd obviously had no training, didn’t appear to have been in a house (TVs and mirrors seemed new) and unlike my dogs she had no "off switch." That was easily remedied by teaching her how to relax in a crate. However in other regards she seemed pretty sweet and easy, getting along with my two dogs. Thank goodness I provided moderate structure, such as feeding her in a pen near my dogs, crating her at night, when left alone and when she couldn't "settle." I'm sure I prevented a multitude of problems from rearing their ugly heads!

As it was, I did notice a difference as we neared the 3 month marker. I began to realize why no one ever came looking for this attractive, spayed, fat, shiny-coated, young stray. She was not the easiest dog to live with. She was highly reactive, predisposed to being mouthy, pushy, demanding, in-your-face, very triggered by movement and sound, a barker, an escape artist and runaway. We immediately set out to fix the latter two problems in order to save her life. The rest we attacked from a variety of directions, including obedience training, desensitization, behavior modification and management.

People often grant the new dog the same privileges as their existing pets and problems don't arise for weeks, even months. Sometimes they are overly permissive and the dog takes advantage of his status. He may be allowed to sleep on the bed and growls when anyone enters the room, tries to sit on the bed or asks the dog to move. It can be little, subtle things to great big huge things... perhaps a dog that didn't appear to be at all destructive is now chewing up your belongings, getting into the garbage and urinating and defecating in the house.

Many problems can be avoided simply by adding structure from the start. Structure builds confidence and security. Too much freedom or the need for decision-making has the opposite effect. It's much better to prevent undesired behaviors from developing in the first place through management. As time goes on the dog can earn privileges as his behavior warrants.

What if you've already let the dog rule the roost and now need to regain control? You can still start over and accomplish the same goal. It may just be a little harder and take a little longer. If your dog is growling and challenging you, please consult a professional to work privately with you to teach non-confrontational ways of working with your dog safely and effectively!

No matter what your new dog’s skills, you should enroll in an obedience class to help establish a bond between you and your pet. Through the class and help of a knowledgeable trainer, you can make sure the honeymoon turns into a long and happy union between you and your dog.

There are many considerations to be taken into account when living with a dog or cat who is getting on in years, who is recovering from injury or surgery, or who is living with a chronic disease, such as arthritis, hip or elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, or worse. There are a number of things you can do to help your pet live more comfortably.

Get a Grip
Your first step should be to modify your home environment to make it easier for your pet to get around. If your dog has difficulty walking, particularly on hard surfaces such as tile or hardwood floors, put down area rugs in the places where he normally walks. Rubber-backed rugs are best for this, but you can use any rug—just make sure you tack it down with double-sided carpet tape or use rubber carpet mesh underneath to keep it from sliding when your pet walks on it. You might also consider using a non-slip spray on your dog’s paws (one such product, called Show Foot, was designed to keep show dogs from slipping in the ring). You can also try rubber-soled dog booties for increased traction. Your pet make need some time to get used to wearing boots, but once he does, he will thank you for the extra grip.

Ramp Up
If your dog or cat has decreased coordination, she may also have a hard time negotiating elevation changes, such as stairs, furniture, or uneven surfaces in the yard. Use a baby gate to block off access to these areas or only allow her into the areas when someone is available to supervise her. You should also consider getting a small ramp or set of stairs to make it easier for her to get on and off the furniture. (If your pet has a hard time negotiating stairs, you can put a ramp over the steps to make the climb easier.)

There are also larger ramps made to help dogs get in and out of cars more easily; some are folding and some telescoping. Use whichever kind works best for you and your pet, but consider how high your car is when buying. Some ramps are short and meant to be used only in the front passenger side door (doors in the back do not open far enough to accommodate it). These ramps are also good for use with furniture in the house. For most cars, though, a ramp 72” long when extended works best, but for a big SUV or for dogs who need a gentler incline, consider getting a ramp that is 83” long. Please note: if your dog needs a ramp or stairs, we recommend that she wear a harness so that you can keep a hand on her while she is walking the ramp or stair; a harness will give you a handle to hang onto and it is much safer than holding onto her collar.

Give Him a Hand
In addition to using a harness with a handle, you might also consider a rear harness if your dog or cat needs help getting up from a sit or down position or is paralyzed in the rear legs. These rear harnesses fit your pet like pants and have two straps that you can use to pull your pet up or to hold onto to keep him stable when he walks. These specialized harnesses can be lifesavers for pets with weak or paralyzed rear legs—and back savers for their owners!

For older pets and for those with balance or neck issues, it can be difficult to bend down to the floor to eat or drink, so get a raised feeder to put the food and water bowls at higher levels. For pets who can no longer stand to eat, place non-skid rubber mesh under their food and water bowls on the floor so that they don’t skid around while your pet is trying to eat. Remember, every extra pound of body weight can make it even more difficult for any pet; dog, cat, or otherwise, to move, so don’t overindulge your pet with cookies and treats. Keeping him at his ideal body weight is a much greater kindness than any treat could ever be.

Leak Busters
Incontinence can be a real problem for older pets or those with special needs. If your dog or cat has incontinence issues, consider disposable or washable diapers or male diaper wraps to catch accidental drips and plops. Absorptive training pads, used for housebreaking puppies, can be real timesavers if your pet leaks urine when she sleeps or if you have to manually express her bladder. Just put one or two under her wherever she sleeps or when expressing to catch the urine. You might also want to have some waterless shampoo on hand to clean her up quickly if she gets urine on her skin or fur. And to avoid urine scald, a rash that occurs when urine stays on a pet’s skin too long, use an anti-infective, anti-bacterial moisture barrier like Barricare to add a protective layer between the urine and her skin.

There is also a special bedding pad you can buy that will wick urine away from your pet’s skin if she is incontinent. A spin-off of the hospital pads developed to eliminate bed sores, Palace Bedding, has a thick, 1-1/4" pile that pulls urine away from your pet’s body so that she won’t sleep in a puddle if she leaks. What’s more, if your dog or cat has arthritis or bony elbows or hips, Palace Bedding’s thick nap will cushion and protect her joints while she rests and help her to avoid pressure sores if she lies on one side for too long,

And So to Bed
Dogs and cats who have a hard time stepping up will find beds with raised edges difficult to use, so give them beds that have low edges or none at all. If your pet has neck problems, be sure to use a bed with no edges. Pets can exacerbate existing neck issues when they hang their heads over the sides of raised-edge beds. In the fall and winter, your arthritic dog or cat will appreciate a heated bed, but in fact, he may appreciate it all year round. While there are a host of orthopedic beds available today, be careful you don’t buy one that is too soft or spongy if your pet has balance or coordination problems as he will find it difficult to get in or out.

Living with a dog or cat who has special needs can be challenging, but there are a whole host of products available today for pets with limited mobility or functionality. At Scout’s House, we sell a wide range of products for special needs pets, and we make them available to pet lovers nationwide via our online store at www.scoutshouse.com.

With a little help, you and your pet can live more comfortable and more functional lives—even in the face of special needs.

It’s a good thing puppies are so cute because they are a lot of work. If they weren’t so cute no one would want one. One of the biggest issues with puppies is housebreaking. A puppy can be causing sleepless nights or tearing up household items and not create as much frustration as a puppy who is toileting in the house.

The humans in the household will likely be the first ones to be “toilet trained.” What this means is, before the puppy understands that you want him to toilet outside you will be setting a schedule to keep him reliably going outside. Initially you may be taking the puppy outside as frequently as every couple of hours and after waking, eating, drinking, or playing.

When you can’t devote full attention to the puppy’s toileting, plan on using some type of confinement like a crate or baby gates. Also don’t allow the puppy full access to the entire house during his early months. Until you are absolutely sure your puppy knows each and every time to toilet outside you should continue to use a combination of confinement and frequent outdoor trips.

When you take the puppy outside use a leash to keep him focused on the task. Always accompany the puppy, no matter what the weather, in order to make sure he has actually toileted. Puppies have very short attention spans. You may take the puppy out and after a quick squat the immediate urgency is relieved and the puppy gets distracted by any number of things. When you return indoors the distractions are gone and the puppy remembers that he hasn’t actually finished relieving himself. Suddenly you see the puppy squatting just seconds after the trip outside. Many people believe their cute little puppy has suddenly become stubborn or is attempting to take control when in fact the puppy is just finishing the task when distractions are at a minimum.

If you take the puppy out and he does nothing after several minutes, return him to his crate or confine him for ten to fifteen minutes. Once he has had some time to settle then try another trip outdoors. Hopefully this time will be a success but if not try another round of confinement. Once the puppy is successful outdoors then he can be allowed a little more freedom when you return to the house.

If the puppy has an accident and you find it later just remember that the puppy won’t understand any kind of punishment after the fact. You must resolve to be more vigilant in watching the puppy. Clean up the accident with a good enzymatic cleaner to make sure there is no lingering odor to attract the puppy again. If you do catch the puppy in the act, again punishment is not a good idea. That will just teach the puppy that a very natural act should be done where he can’t be seen. You will soon have a puppy that toilets behind furniture or in other out of the way places. If you see the puppy toileting in the house, try a noise distraction or just scoop him up and run him outside. Once outside wait for him to finish his task and then gently and calmly praise him.

There is no magic trick to having a house-trained dog but putting in some concerted effort in the beginning will ensure that your puppy will have a good start on being reliable indoors.