Introducing a new dog to the house.

I received an email from a lady recently on the proper way to bring a new dog into the house..  here's my reply:

The most important thing for all dogs is a proper introduction into a new home.  Usually I suggest hiring a pro to do it, as if it is done wrong it can set the stage for a long road of troubles.  What is important in the overall picture is the structure that dogs need.  When I introduce dogs into a home, I always have them meet on neutral ground first.  Allow them to see each other, then allow them to sniff each other, then walk them together, then bring them carefully into the home.  I prefer to leave the leashes on them when they first get back into the house, makes things a lot simpler if you need to control on of the dogs.  I am not a big fan of crates, so the tether allows you some control here.  

You must remember that not all dogs will get along.  Sometimes the behavior can be fixed, usually by a professional, if it can't you will forever be keeping them separate.  Dogs function in a pack mentality.  That means they understand where they fall in the pack.  If this structure is not established by the leader, they will scramble to try and establish it... not good. That being said, I don't like leads that tether dogs without the control of you.  You need to draw these boundaries i.e. no furniture, certain rooms off limits, no playing with certain things in the house, etc.  

Of primary importance is feeding, walking and affection.  The dog that is to be the alpha will get fed first, affection first, walked first, etc.  If another tries to get jealous or assertive, you will need to correct them.  YOU determine the structure.  When you have big dogs, its important that they respect you.  Respect must come before love.  They will walk all over someone they love, but will always love someone they respect.  Simple solution.  Alpha dogs are always biting the other dogs in the nexk, pushing them over, rolling them and head butting the others...  YOU need to be that alpha dog..  You are the leader.  Do not let your dog walk in front of you, especially leaving the house.  

There are a million little things you need to focus on when you have more than one dog.  However, once you have it in check, you could not have a better situation.  Behavior patterns in dogs are sometimes tough for people to read, as they misread play growling and barking for aggression.  This is something that shelters screw up and kill dogs for all the time.  Dogs will bite and play rough, they are dogs.  You will determine when enough is enough.  Setting boundaries and structure into the pack will help them settle in to each other and anything else you throw at them.  

My method is positive reinforcement, with little or no verbal corrections.  A very rogue concept in dog training, and almost impossible to explain in email.  However, please read my blog at www.blackbeltdogtraining.com and I'm sure it will shed some light on my methods.

I hope this helps a little :)

Best,

Robert

Black Belt Dog Training

Misguided Molly

Last week  I was asked to visit a dog that had been showing signs of depression.  I drove to Santa Barbara and met Molly and her mom and dad, Sue and John.  This was about the most perfect family I had met.  John and Sue are about the nicest people you could imagine and Molly is just a little sweetheart.  She shares her life with Cody, a blind and deaf Daschshund mix.  BTW, Cody is the alpha dog, although weighing only about 1/4 of what Molly weighs.  Molly timidly licks the tears from Cody's blind eyes and cleans his ears ever so gently.  It really is sweet.  So why was I, the guy who deals with "killer dogs" asked to visit Molly?  My friend knows that I "sense" the dogs energy, and thought it would be a good fit.  It was.

I sat and talked to John and Sue for a while and picked up on Molly's spirit.  It became almost immediately evident to me that Molly was reaching out for the love of John.  Molly was very bonded with Sue and is Sue's dog.  John is a man's man, tough and strong.  I knew Molly wanted to have a bond with John, so I immediately put that on the table and gave them several exercises to do together.  At first Molly was a little confused, but picked up on it very quickly.  At first she looked over at Sue and me for assurance, but quickly bonded with John and the two of them formed a bond that was long overdue.

The second day Sue, Molly and I went through some basic exercises and established to Molly that she is very important, gave her some exercises she would do to get rewards--- remember dogs love to please, so giving them an exercise to complete in order to gain praise is better than giving praise for no reason.  This is just what Molly wanted and needed.

My only request with my dogs is that I ask the humans to follow the exercises I give for the prescribed amount of time after I leave.  Well, John and Sue did exactly that, and today, less than a week later, Molly is doing much better.  I received an email from Sue yesterday and I am very happy to hear that great news.

Its important to remember that the way dogs respond is not always too easy to figure out.  Dogs have an instinct that they still follow.  Even though they have been domesticated for thousands of years, they still follow their drive which makes them feel safe.  To understand a dog, you need to think like a dog, and that is hard for most humans, as we tend to over think things.  Proper training can only be executed if you understand the dogs needs.  And, as I always try to remind people, not all dogs will respond to the same kind of training.  Good training is geared toward the individual dog and can not be taken from the pages of a manual or DVD.  Before you hire a trainer, be certain that their goal is to understand your dog first, then train them.

Thanks for reading....  As always, I welcome your comments and emails.

Robert

www.blackbeltdogtraining.com

The Right Reward

Before I start this post, I'd like to remind the reader that most of the dogs that I deal with are not the ones that come from your local pet store or breeder.  I deal with the dogs that others have given up on, the ones that come off of death row at the animal shelter...  yeah, the dogs that humans have all but given up on.  These are my babies, the ones I rehabilitate and help.  Now that we've gotten that out of the way, please read the rest of this post with that in mind when I talk about the proper way to reward and train dogs.

There are people on both sides of the issue of using food based rewards for dog training.  The one thing everyone agrees on is that proper behavior should be rewarded.  Of course there are those who think the dog should just do what he's told and believe in forcing the dog until he complies.  These people are not dog trainers and have little clue on the behavior pattern of dogs.  I am a firm believer in strong corrections, but also believe in just as strong of praise and reward.  Jerking a dog around to get them to do what you want them to do is not only wrong, it is stupid.  Dogs are known as mans best friend because of the bond we share, and as you may notice, if you praise a dog verbally, his tail will wag.... proving he understands the praise.

That being said, we can address the issue of rewards for training.  In general I do not use food based rewards in training.  I say in general, because there are times when it is important.  The key element to remember is that it is a "reward."  The mistake many people make is giving the dog too much of a reward when it is not necessary.  Doing this takes the "reward" aspect out of the issue and makes it "the norm."  If a dog comes to expect his reward, next he will demand it, and bad things can come from this.  I had a client who had a dog who she trained with treats, and after the second reward, the dog would become aggressive in training, demanding more rewards.

It is also important to realize the personality of the dog that you are training.  If the dog is not "food motivated" treats will do you little good.  Some dogs respond better to verbal praise or physical touch than treats.  In any situation, dog training is dog specific.  You need to understand your dog in order to understand how best to train him.  A dog can not be trained from a manual written about "all dogs."  It is first and foremost important to understand you dog, what motivates him, his likes and dislikes in order to be fair in his training.  In any case, I whole heartedly advocate the use of rewards for proper behavior, whether it is treats or praise, figure out what motivates your dog and give it to him when he performs.

Food treats can be weaned in time and should be used in conjunction with verbal praise.  There are 3 phases to the training technique.  I'll talk more about this in another post.  But basically:

1. you tell you dog to do something

2. you show him what it is you are telling him to do

3. you praise him when he does it

Notice I did not say, "You ask your dog to do something."  Dogs do not respond well to requests.  The tone of your voice is the direction from which your dog takes direction.  The tone more so than the actual words.  Using a firm voice is what your dog understands.  Wishy washy tones are used for praise and reward, commanding tones are used for orders.

There are those who believe that a firm voice with a dog is wrong.  These are the same people who believe that training a dog is taking the life and freedom out of your dog.  I'll talk more about this in another blog, but basically these people do not understand dogs, and don't love the dog enough to lead them.  Dogs want a leader, they need a leader, without a leader they are dead.  If you can not lead your dog, you are allowing him to lead himself in a world he is not capable of dealing with, a world that will have him getting out, lost, hurt or killed in a shelter.

The Fear Biter

The other day I was introduced to an adorable little dog that had the habit of biting visitors.  Upon first meeting this little firecracker, who is close to 13 years old, I observed a cute little guy that stood in a corner and shook.  His little legs were wobbly from shaking.  When he saw me, he ran over and immediately began biting at my shoes.  This is clearly a sign of fear biting and not aggressive behavior in the ordinary sense.  However it is something that needed to be dealt with.  He was an older man, so approaching him as you might a younger, stronger powerful dog will not work.   He needed a clear approach that would make sense to him.  First off, his owner would have to take control and become a stronger leader.  With a few simple exercises we were able to accomplish this.  Next we had to address some underlying issues this little man had about the way he was approached.  He was very head-shy, which is a typic sign that the dog was abused.  Building confidence in a dog is a good way to eliminate negative behaviors.  

If a dog is biting, barking, growling or exhibiting any strange behavior it is important to evaluate the behavior before you try to solve the problem.  Much like a mechanic would test drive the car before he begins taking apart the engine, so should your dog be properly evaluated before trying to solve a problem.  Simply jumping in with a "standard training approach" can cause more damage to a dogs already temperamental behavior.