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Housetraining 101

05/17/2012 11:05:00

Housetraining 101

Teaching a dog to go to the bathroom outdoors is a simple matter of training. The same processes are used to train a dog to sit, come when called and to shake. Set the dog up to do the desired behavior (pee and poop outside) while you prevent the dog from making mistakes (going indoors.) The message gets muddled when we believe our dogs “know” the difference between right and wrong. If a dog is peeing in the house, the training process needs to continue. It’s that simple. Dogs don’t live in a world of rights and wrongs, only safe and not safe. If the dog has been punished in anyway for peeing in the house, it learns that it is not safe to pee near you.Relieving itself can never be wrong. When teaching your dog to exclusively go outdoors, make sure you are being clear. It’s the location, not the action that you are training. Follow these guidelines and you will see quick results:

· Feed your dog regular meals at regular times.Don’t forget treats count! Input determines output.

· Take your dog out frequently on leash. Do not just let your dog go outside alone. You are its teacher.

· When the dog goes to the bathroom, praise it with enthusiasm, pop a treat in its mouth and unleash it to play.

· Dogs often need to pee or poop after a meal,after drinking, after sleeping and during or after a play session. Puppies may need to be taken out once an hour to prevent accidents.

· When you can’t actively supervise your dog, it should be in a crate or a gated area with a chew toy. Make sure the dog goes outside before confining it. Dogs should only be cratedfor 1-4 hours at a time.

· If your dog makes a mistake, DO NOT punish it.Clean the mess with a product meant for urine and feces.

· Keep a log of when, what and where to track your dog’s habits. This will reveal your dog’s habits and help you predict when it needs to go outside.

A Day at the Park

04/10/2012 19:44:00

Before I get to the meat of this post, let me say that I am a compassionate and understanding person. I'm sure there is someone out there who will vouch for me. I am nuts about dogs and people make me nuts. I am skilled in the psychology of humans and dogs, but dogs are so much easier to change.....

I took my kids and dogs to a local park tonight. My dogs, though they belong to a trainer, aren't all that trained. They don't do anything fancy, but what's special about them is that I can trust them. They are consistent and they are tuned into me.I can handle lots of situations because they know a few commands really well and if the commands fail, I have other options. I take great pride in my dog's ability to deal with the public in a polite way. Tonight I was made aware at how uncommon it is to trust your canine friends.

I crossed paths with many owners and many dogs, but none could pass me and keep their dogs under control...not one! They all anticipated their dog's bad behavior and pulled the dog off to the side, yanked up on the collar and held on for dear life. I was met with teeth and growling, barking and lunging and general bad juju. What's worse is that one owner actually punched her dog in the side and back repeatedly and yelled at it because she couldn't control the dog's behavior and didn't put any distance between her and the other dogs. I wasn't involved in that incident. I had just walked past, but because my dogs stayed calm, she was able to hold her dog. When others behind me tried to pass with barky and out of control dogs, the dog lunged and almost pulled the woman down so she punched it. It was hard to watch.

I always feel confused about what to do when I see this kind of thing. Do I whip out a card, offer assistance, or say a prayer? I said a prayer. I thanked God for my job security and then asked that He encourage people to ask for help. Dogs are made to live in our world and we need to teach them how we want them to live. If we let them drag us around on leash and only walk them when we feel like it, how can we expect them to be calm and mannerly when they see another dog? All the times I've taken my dogs to parks and other public places have paid off. Using the proper equipment has paid off. Haviing treats in my pocket to reward ignoring the snarling dog paid off. I'm not special. I've put in the time. Please put time into your dogs so they can pay you back. I went home feeling quite happy. I wonder how the other dog owners felt?

How to Solve a Doggie Dilemma

04/06/2012 12:12:00

1. Prevent the bad behavior through management of the dog and the environment. If your dog jumps on people coming in your house,don’t let him! Use a gate or a leash.

2. Teach your dog what to do instead and reinforce that behavior like crazy. Sit and stay can cure almost anything.

3. Meet your dog’s needs by letting him be a dog.If he digs, provide a digging pit. If he’s hyper, get him plenty of exercise.

4. Be consistent. Be clear. Work until you have achieved your goal. If you don’t know how to teach your dog, seek advice.

5. Stop all the negativity. Your dog’s problem behavior is only a problem to you. Dogs dig, bark and bite…it’s normal. Your dog isn’t being bad, he’s being a dog.

6. Seek help if you need it. A dog’s life span is around 15 years. If you spend $300 on training a one year old dog, that’s roughly $21 a year for peace versus 14 years of frustration.

Lessons I Have Learned From Dogs.

01/20/2012 15:52:00

Every moment is an opportunity to learn. Good experiences can inspire and motivate and bad experiences can cause one to shut down.

Don’t hold a grudge.

Proper motivation can work wonders.

Praise the good and ignore the bad.

It’s not personal.

Anyone can change, if they want to.

Daily exercise is important.

We really only need a few things to be happy.

Be patient.

Trust my gut.

One can learn so much by just sitting and quietly observing.

If a task is too hard, break into pieces and master one piece at a time.

There is a fine line between punishment and retaliation.

Timing is everything.

Get excited about the little things.

Stop and smell the flowers and enjoy the sunshine.

Meeting new friends is fun.

Take time to rest.

Fairness has nothing to do with life.

There is nothing better than being in the company of those you love.

Write your post here.

The Proper Use of a Crate

01/03/2012 12:54:00

A crate can be very useful if you own a dog. It is very helpful for housetraining, home alone training, to prevent destructiveness and may serve as a dog’s makeshift “den.” It’s good to train a dog to be comfortable while confined in a crate to help it at the vet, groomer, during travel and if the dog needs to be confined for any other reason. A crate should not be where the dog spends most of its time.

A crate should be purchased to fit your dog when it is fully grown. It should be big enough for the dog to stand upright, turn around and sleep in comfortably. If the crate is housing a puppy, a portion can be blocked off to suit the size of the puppy and more space can be given as it grows. Some crates come with a divider, or a cardboard box can fill up the space nicely for dogs that don’t chew. If a puppy or dog eliminates in a crate, it has most likely been left in the crate longer than it could hold its bladder. The crate only encourages puppies to hold “it.” It’s not a magic teacher. Many dog owners make the mistake of leaving the puppy too long in the crate when no one is home, causing the puppy to have a negative experience in the crate.

A puppy should only be left in a crate for as many hours as its age in months plus one. If you have a three month old puppy, it shouldn’t be confined to a crate longer than four hours without being given the freedom to eliminate and get some mental and physical exercise. The crate is a tool and its use should be adjusted with the age and progress of the puppy. It’s proper to use the crate to teach a puppy to hold it bladder while indoors. As the puppy learns this, it should be in the crate less and less over time. By six months, most puppies should have earned their freedom in the house and going in the crate should be a choice, not a necessity.

When puppies are crated for too many hours and for too many months they, as well as their owners, become reliant on the crate to control the puppy’s behavior. This is very detrimental. Dogs are not meant to be caged. Crating a dog for a workday of 8-10 hours often results in an under exercised, mentally and physically under stimulated dog. This can lead to hyperactivity, destructiveness, mouthing, barking and jumping as a means to get the attention and stimulation dogs crave. It becomes a vicious cycle. Owners crate the dog to prevent such things, but crating the dog also causes these behaviors to develop. As soon as a puppy is crate trained, there needs to be a plan to give the puppy more freedom and teach it how to behave in the house.

If you are interested in more information on crate training or need more information on raising a puppy, you may call me or read Before and After Getting Your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar or Perfect Puppy in 7 Days by Dr. Sophia Yin.

Establishing Leadership

12/13/2011 16:35:00

Leadership means that you and your dog know and follow the house rules that you have established by teaching them to your dog and then enforcing them routinely. Your dog should look to you for guidance and happily listen to you. You have the leader position, but you must do things to make that clear to your dog. Clear boundaries give a dog security and confidence, so that he can just be a dog and leave the rest up to you to handle.

1. The Leader Controls the Resources: Providing the things your dog values, rather than giving them for free, encourages your dog to listen and cooperate with you.

Food: Food is a major resource and should come from you, not just appear in the dog’s bowl and be left there for him to enjoy at his leisure. Feed your dog twice a day. Ask your dog to sit and wait. Reward your dog with his food. Any food that is still in the bowl after 10-20 minutes should be picked up and put away. If this is new for your dog, you will see him adapt to the new routine in about 2-5 days. For dogs with real leadership issues or to train quickly, feed your dog all its food from your hand. Have your dog come, sit or down to earn each piece of food.

Toys: Leave only one or two toys out at any given time. The rest should be kept where only you can reach them. When you’d like to give your dog a toy, ask him to sit and reward his good behavior with a toy. (See Chewing Handout for more info.) Play with your dog to increase your value in your dog’s eyes. Games are great, but make sure you set the rules and the dog obeys them. Teaching your dog to drop it and take it makes this easy.

Door Access: When your dog wants to go out, simply ask him to sit and reward his response by opening the door.

You: You are the greatest resource of all because your dog needs you to get all the other resources! Don’t waste your position –remind your dog all the time that you are important. If he wants to be pet, don’t let him tell you when. Ask your dog to come, sit or down and reward him with your affection. For everything your dog wants, that you provide, ask him for a behavior and then provide him a reward.

2. The Leader Control Spaces and Places: Dogs should earn the privileges in their lives. (we do!)

Furniture: I don’t mind if a dog takes a place that is available, but if it’s my lap, a dog should be invited, not just jump up. It’s also important that a dog get off something when asked. If you can’t get your dog off furniture without your hands, you’ve got a leadership and resource dispute. Any dog with leadership issues should not be allowed on furniture. He will need to earn this privilege and then come up only when the issues are cleared up and he is invited.

Space: Doorways, hallways, and prime sleeping spots need to be managed by you, not the dog. If you ask your dog to move (body block, come when called or other way), it should move for you. This includes during exciting situations like getting a leash on, in and out of the car, while on a walk, etc. If your dog refuses to move, you have work to do. Your dog can be trained to get back, leave it, or come to help with these issues. With effective teaching comes good listening. The goal is to move the dog with our influence…not our hands.

3. Other Areas for Leadership:

Handling: Dogs should be taught to accept handling from you and others to be safe and manageable.

Training: Taking time to train the dog establishes leadership by having lots of mini lessons for the dog to take instruction from you and be rewarded for it. It’s practice for real life.

Other Dogs: If you have more than one dog, you should be the leader to all of your dogs and they should all receive equal rules and be treated the same to prevent squabbles. No dog should have the position of “alpha” because that is your job.

If you are and your dog aren’t seeing eye to eye on how the house is run or who is really in charge, you are having leadership issues. You need to take the time to establish the above rules so they are easy and accepted by the dog. You will know when he sees you as his leader (or parent or owner or alpha –pick the description of your choice) because you won’t be having any difficulties any more.

Good leaders are clear, concise and consistent. Through training you will learn how to influence your dog’s behavior without needing to intimidate or punish him. True leadership is earned not forced.

Noel's Purpose

12/09/2011 19:10:00

I had a busy day today. It started with taking Noel out to go pee. At noon, I brought Noel back to the vet clinic where I first met her 10 days ago. I kept a stiff upper lip, but watching my daughter hug her goodbye tore me up. On the way home we had an important conversation about why we couldn't keep her that I'd like to share. Later in the day I took several phone calls from confused dog owners, then evaluated a misunderstood dog and finally helped introduce a new dog into a new home. It was a dog-filled day. The best part of my day was a phone call from a friend who reminded me that we need the "courage to change the things we can, accept the things we can't and have the wisdom to know the difference."

I took Noel into my home to determine if she could be housebroken. I responded to a Facebook post that said she couldn't be housetrained and in my line of work, that is very rarely true. I wanted to know if it just took someone with the right methods to get the job done. It was a little pig headed....but have you looked at my life? I have always been quietly pig headed. Tell me that it can't be done, and I love to try to prove you wrong.

My ultimate purpose in taking this dog is a bigger lesson, than can she be housetrained. Can people learn how to teach dogs? Can people admit that education is necessary? Can people humble themselves enough to say...I need help? I was prepared to humble myself. I was prepared to fail. I had considered that the description of this dog could have been accurate.

So...10 days later..am I humble? Yes, I am. I am humbled to feel the support of other dog lovers. Support from others who have asked for edcuation and listened and are better for it. Being with a dog isn't just about hanging with an animal. It's about us -it's about compassion, nurturing something that needs us and it's about loving something that brings us together. This is why people cry when speaking about their dogs. Because loving a dog, means we have opened our hearts and in doing so we become raw and emotional. We love dogs because we need them. We need dogs because people let us down. We need dogs because they need us and we need to be needed. We need dogs because when the whole world is too busy, our dogs aren't. They are right there waiting for us and happy to see us no matter what. Dogs set an example of pure love that those of us who have shared it know is a message for us to be better people. Dogs show us how to love, but are we listening?

When I spoke with Annie on the way home from giving Noel back, I reminded her why we took her in the first place. Taking a dog into your home should be a decision that is right for the dog and for the people. We weren't looking for a third dog. If we were to keep Noel, it would be based on pity. As much as we learned to love her, she wan't the right dog for us. The reasons people get dogs is often he reason the dog ends up homeless. I have heard it all. "I got he dog because it looks like my old one who just died," big shoes to fill! "I got the dog because I always loved that kind of fur," flimsy reasoning for a 15 year committment. "I got this dog to keep my other one company," and did you pick the company or did your dog? "It was just soooo cute!" None of these are rational. Getting a new dog is a big committment. It takes times, money and resources. It doesn't always go well. A person should be prepared and make a choice that makes sense. So as I reminded Annie, that we are a busy family, with limited time and resources and that our two dogs are happy as a 2 dog household, she said, "I know, but I love her."

What is love? To me, love is taking action. Whenever I hear people say, "I really love the dog, BUT...," I stop listening. Love is action, not intention. I know this is a deep conversation about a silly dog.....but it really is so much more. People need to buck up in all ways. People need to be honest and true. Do what you say you will. Keep your committments. Do the right thing. Dogs can teach many lessons. What is the the lesson when someone gives up on a dog? I don't know, but I never want to live in that kind of family. Harsh, I am. Life is harsh, people.

So, at the end of this tiring and glorious journey of dog love....I am feeling satisfied that I did my very best for this dog. I also learned that I will never be a foster mom or a pet rescuer because the whole things just ticks me off. I also learned that I have a very special family and the two most perfect dogs in the world that have my heart and will forever. Noel has taught me to be honest and to work hard and that no matter what the outcome, her life has a purpose and it will live in my heart.

Noel's Basic Needs

12/08/2011 15:24:00

Shelter:

Any size or type house would suit Noel, with the addition of gates to prevent her access to areas where she couldn’t be supervised. Noel would be happiest in a moderate sized fenced in yard with a digging pit. She likes to bury toys. I do not recommend Noel ever live outdoors. She shivers in the morning FL temperatures and has a short coat. Noel enjoys company and although she does well in a crate, should not be left alone more than 2-4 hours without attention and an opportunity to exercise and relieve herself. Noel is not ready for bed or furniture privileges. She should sleep in a crate at night (8-9 hour) until she is fully trained and trustworthy not to have accidents or chew inappropriate items. Noel needs to be supervised in the kitchen. She responds to the word “off”, but will jump on the counters if no one is watching. Noel gets along well with other dogs.

Sustenance:

Noel should always have access to water except when in her crate over night and for short periods of 1-4 hours. Noel should eat puppy food until she is a year old. She eats twice a day from a bowl and shows no aggression towards people around her food. It is my recommendation that Noel be fed exclusively through toys such as Kibble Nibbles, Kongs and Squirrel Dudes to keep her occupied and chewing the right things. Her daily requirement of kibble can be placed in toys throughout the day. Should Noel go to a home with other dogs, they should be fed separately to take precaution. She will growl if another dog approaches her food or toys with food in them. This is normal, but needs to be acknowledged.

Medical needs:

I have been told that Noel is currently up to date on all her required vaccinations. She is also microchipped. She is in excellent health. Noel should see a vet for a yearly check up, unless otherwise advised by a vet. Noel has minimal grooming requirements. Her shedding is moderate. I have hardly noticed any of her fur except on black clothing with direct contact and in the car.

Mental and Physical Stimulation:

Noel’s mental needs are greater than her physical. She is very intelligent, curious and independent and if not properly directed, she could get herself into trouble. A digging pit, lots of quality chewtoys with food in them, games of agility, fetch, tug, go find it and the like will keep her busy. Obedience training is a form of mental and physical exercise that Noel enjoys. Noel walks well on a leash and has the potential to be a great loose leash walker with more practice. She should be walked about 30 minutes on most days. Alternate forms of exercise that would suit her would be off-leash play in a field, a dog park (after training) or just hanging with her owner while doing yard work. She enjoys the outdoors and should get plenty of time out there, but does not require lots of aerobic activity.

Day 7 with Noel

12/06/2011 22:22:00

The day started out rough. I woke still tired from day 6, but had to take care of the dogs and get out to Physical Therapy (long and boring story.) PT brought me to tears, so they surprised me with the great pleasure of six injections to top off my normal two hour ordeal...I mean routine. On my way home, I realized the tears weren't just the physical pain I was feeling, but some physical and emotional fatigue that I believed I could just ignore. It's exhausting trying to prove people wrong.

I turned my difficult day into another test for Noel's adoptability. I decided to take a day off from training, and even walking Noel to see how she'd do with the minimum of my attention. Any guesses? She did great. She spent a little extra time in her crate and was left to just hang around the house like my own dogs do each day while I am busy. Noel didn't complain, but adapted perfectly. Right now she is on the floor with my daughter, who is watching a movie. Well, on a mattress on the floor - we take our relaxation seriously around here. You can view pictures of Noel snuggling at www.facebook.com/maggietraining if you like that sort of thing.

Noel has been learning to wait in various situations and today she mastered the food bowl. She can now sit and remain seated while her bowl is lowered to the floor and she stays there until I say go. Good dog!

I took some video of Noel interacting with my dogs. It's a very typical scene of an adolescent dog begging for some direction from her two older and wiser dog friends. It's classic dogginess. As soon as I figure out how to load it to Facebook, I will. Please look for it. Callie and Buckley provide Noel with a lesson better than I ever could and less than five minutes later they were all sleeping under the table as we ate dinner. Dogs never hold grudges, even after being disciplined. Did you notice I said, as we ate dinner? She doesn't beg at the table and I can't take credit for that one. She's just a good girl.

One more pee trip outside and we're all off to bed. We will have Noel for three more days. I did what I set out to do and it has been a satisfying and enjoyable ride with this dog. Please share these blogs and the pictures and videos on Facebook. Noel needs a permanent home very soon.

Day 6 fostering Noel

12/05/2011 22:57:00

Today was a disappointment....in myself, not the dog. I know better than to blame the dog. An effective teacher has an exemplary student. What's great about today is that although I am a dog trainer, I am still an average person. My husband is away for two weeks, I homeschool my kids, I have two dogs that I dote on, I run a business and my kids' social and extracurriclar lives are busy!! I am not fishing for sympathy...at all. Just painting the picture. Average people are busy and average people mess up with dogs. Dogs are patterned and predictable; people change depending on the circumstance! I wish I could devote 100% to this dog and find her a home, but I only have a strong 40-50% to give. I am giving more than an average owner, I think, but it's tough. Noel should have received guidance at the beginning of her life, but people failed her, So many dog owners are under educated in what dogs need, that she didn't stand a chance, There are about 5 million homeless dogs in the USA every year. Dogs become homeless primarily for behavioral problems that are preventable. It is our fault, as was Noel's accident today. How can I expect a dog to know how to ask to go outside if no one has taught her? How can I expect her to know that I prefer she pees on my grass if she is inside a closed door and I am not paying attention to her?

Let me show you what today looked like: We woke at 8am and I promplty took Noel outside and she peed. She went in and out several times between 8:30 and 10:30 as I attempted to read my emails and do some paperwork. I put her in her crate with a chewtoy from 10:30-11:30 while I showered and ate and woke my kids (yes they sleep late cause we are special.) I took her out and she peed at 11:35. We stayed outside and messed around for about an hour. She went back in the crate with somebody's femur from 12:20-1:30 so I could teach my kids how to summarize. She went out and peed again at 1:30 and 3:10. It was at 2:51 that she peed in the house as I was on the computer trying to finalize my new brochures to advertise my upcoming puppy classes. The kids and I took Noel to our park form 3:15-4:30 where she peed again and had some training for recall and drop it. After that, she hung out in my backyard with my supervision and went back in her crate at 4:45 so i could walk my dogs. At 5:30 Noel hopped in the car as we headed to Cecil Field for softball practice. She did well...was on leash for 2 hours, sniffed everything she could, got bitten by red ants,and pooped on the walkway, but generally behaved herself. I recalled seeing another softball parent's dog attend some games and behave in a way that isn't for public! but Noel showed everybody that she has what it takes to be a family dog and travels well. She slept on the way and on the way back. We arrived home at 8:45 and since then Noel has been in and out with my dogs and given acceptable things to chew. She gets playful at night, until I put her in her crate for bed. I think it's like an overtired toddler. She doesn't know enough to lay down and stop moving. So...the total of the day is 8 pees that I wrote down and 2 poops. I was neglectful today and I know I missed some. If I don't get back on the horse tomorrow, it's downhill for Noel. The story of her life. Will I let her down?

Regardless of how well things are going, Friday is that last day Noel will live in the Marshall house. Annie has a softball tournament on Saturday that I won't miss. Kids come before dogs here...most of the time. If Noel is returned to the vet's office, all this training will be for not..except for the knowledge that she is trainable. Do we know more? Yes and no.

The point of this rant...not sure anymore. I'm so tired. I just put Noel in the crate and she has settled down. I'm going to bed knowing I have another full day again tomorrow. When you write down what happens every minute of the day...the day really does seem longer. Off to bed to pray that this sacrifice is not for nothing...that this sweet, normal dog finds a place to call home and that I can be proud to have helped her, rather than feel responsible for returning her to a kennel.