The Centre for Applied Canine Behaviour
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  A Social Stroll with Fido and Friends   by Carolyn Clark    

   Mine!  It's Mine!  Preventing Object Guarding   by Carolyn Clark

   A Dog's Personal Space   by Judy Miller
           Helping Your Dog in Class
           Help Your Dog When You're Out Walking

  Sit To Greet People   by Judy Miller

   Dealing With a Fearful or Timid Dog  **

   Help!  My Puppy is a Crocodile!  **

   Paw Prints on the Chest Are Not a Fashion Statement  **

   Puppy Management 101  **

**These articles were originally published in   Menagerie Magazine ~~

Off Leash Fun at the Dog Park can be an excellent opportunity for dogs and their people to exercise and socialize. For polite friendly dogs that play well with others and enjoy a party atmosphere, it can be a fun time at the park.

Is the off leash park ideal for all dogs? The answer is a resounding "No"

Very young or cautious pups might be traumatized if mobbed by a bunch of rowdy partiers. Even just a first close encounter by a big dog can be traumatizing. First impressions are lasting. Discretion, common sense, and care on the part of both dogs' guardians is required …. hard to manage at the dog park.

Put yourself in the paws of the pup. What if you are sniffing the flowers and end up in the middle of a scrimmage? A scrimmage is no fun if you are not part of a team. Even team players can get into trouble if there is no coach or referee. Without structure, time outs and rules monitored by a referee what was once a scrimmage can become a demolition derby .

For the older dog, whose sight or hearing may be impaired or for the one who may have a touch of arthritis, rough or energetic play may no longer be the fun it once was.

And how about the dog who has learned to get an adrenalin rush slam dunking other dogs? Dr. Patricia McConnell, author, zoology professor, co-host of the radio show "Calling All Pets", and popular speaker at seminars, calls this dog the "Saturday night bar room brawler" of the dog park. Every time this dog successfully intimidates another dog, the rough aggressive display is further entrenched. His bad behaviour is reinforced yet again.

"But my dog needs to be socialized," you say. " He needs the exercise."

Good for you to want the best for your buddy. How about meeting some friends and taking your dogs for a pleasant on leash stroll in the neighbourhood. All dogs are on leash. Dogs and people walk along together keeping far enough apart for dogs to be at ease. Folks and dogs enjoy the scenery, the weather, the smells, the camaraderie and the exercise without feeling threatened or becoming over stimulated.

Such a parallel social stroll can be beneficial even with just two dogs. In fact, depending on your dog's skill level, this might be a good place to start. Turid Rugaas, respected Norwegian behaviourist and author, strongly recommends such walks to help dogs remember and develop their ability to use the language of calming signals. The key is to walk along far enough apart for your dog to feel comfortable. If it is difficult for your dog to walk alongside another dog, position yourself between your dog and the dog beside you. Remember that this is a walk, not a romp. Playing on leash is not part of this activity.

At different stages of development, dogs, like kids, try out and learn new things. Studies are now documenting that around the age of 15 weeks, puppies begin learning rough, bullying play. This would be an ideal time for on leash social strolls with friends. Friends' dogs need not be pups. In fact it is a nice way for your puppy to experience dogs of all ages. Puppies can still have occasional short off leash play times with doggy friends, but it is really important that the humans stop the play frequently for little time outs. Watch that energy level and interrupt before it gets too high. Have a short mini training session; a minute or so is enough. When pups are calm reward with a happy "Go Play" and freedom …. for another brief romp. Repeat several times. Then pop the leashes back on and go for a walk together.

Spring is in the air. Safely enjoy the changing seasons with your two and four legged buddies. Take a walk in the park …. on leash.

Copyright Carolyn Clark 02/27/04

read a testimonial from a student describing her experience with "parallel walking"

 Preventing Object Guarding

Or "Help! Whenever the dog gets a shoe (food, towel, toy, kleenex, the couch ...) he growls, takes it under the bed (chair, coffee table, couch ...) and snaps and snarls at us."

Yup, dogs guard things. That is what dogs do. And some do it more often, with more stuff, and with more ferocity than others. The truth is, all dogs at some time in their lives will probably guard something ... at least once.

Often the first signal that a dog is saying "Mine!" is a slightly lowered head and very stiff body posture. There may or may not be a curl of the lip. What do you do? Back up. Believe the warning. Do not push it further.

If you dog is guarding something that may harm her, or something that she may damage, try tossing some great food (cheese? a bit of hamburger? steak? a piece of cooked chicken from last night's dinner?) on the floor away from the dog. Be ready, and when she gets up to investigate, pick up the object, put your foot on it, or cover it with a waste basket. Do not get into a confrontation. Do not chase her or try to wrestle the item from her.

If your dog is a serious guarder of pig's ears or rawhides or some other particular item, put them away for now. (If your dog has bitten, ask an experienced trainer to work with you. Do not work alone!)

Now, start the "exchange game". This is your prevention training. Do this even if your dog has never guarded a thing. Think of building up an "exchange bank account" with your dog. If you do not have anything in your bank account you cannot take anything out. So it is with your dog.

You will need some very enticing, smelly, great food item and an object that your dog finds mildly interesting.

Start with an item that your dog does not value highly. Perhaps your dog is only mildly interested in her old toy now that the squeak is gone. For another dog it might be a nylon "bone", for another it might be an empty kleenex box ... The point is that your dog is only mildly interested. We want success, not a challenge.

The "Exchange Game" Program:  Minimizing Object Guarding Problems

1. Give the item to the dog. Place it on the floor between his front legs if he doesn't take it from you.
   
2. Say "trade" (this will be your signal or cue to the dog that the "exchange game" is on.)
   
3. With one hand, hold the smelly food bit right in front of his nostrils. Let him lick it, but you hold on to it.
   
4. Now with the other hand pick up the item (hang on to that food bit!). Now give him the food bit and -- here is the key part --
   
5. Give the item back to the dog.

Repeat the above steps 10 times with this item. (Your dog will probably not be the least bit interested in it after the first time or two. Do the exercise anyway: "trade" - dog licks treat - remove object - dog gets treat - gets object back again ... 10 times with the same object.)

You have just made 10 small deposits in your dog's "exchange bank account".

Next Step:

Repeat the above but with an item that is just a little more valuable to your dog. Do it 10 times. There are now 20 deposits in your dog's "exchange bank account".

Continue 10 times each with at least ten more items, each one of a little higher value to your dog.

Continue these trading sequences, the "exchange game", working your way up her list of valued items. Remember the word "trade" is the signal to your dog that she is going to get something wonderful and she is going to get her toy back again ... no need to guard ... no competition ... she can trust you.

Test:

If all has been going well and you have successfully completed at least 150 exchanges (10 times with 15 items of gradually increasing value) give her the rawhide (or pig's ear or ...) and repeat the exchange sequence with that highly valued item. Make sure your handful is exceptionally enticing! She should happily drop the item, which you will pick up, then give her the handful of delicious food she was licking, and wonder of wonders, you give her back the rawhide! Repeat with this item too. How about giving her back two rawhides! Dog says, "Wow! I hear 'trade' and I get something wonderful and I get back my prized possession too! I love my human!"

Caution: If there is even the hint of a freeze when you start the test, stop! Go back to the beginning and redo the program. Make sure you are building the value levels of your dog's possession slowly and steadily until you have happy compliance regardless of the item.

Now you have a very useful and safe way to take things from your dog. Now that she understands the game, you can do an exchange every now and then to keep her "exchange bank account" full.

Applying the Program:

If your dog gets a forbidden object, get a handful of great food. Say "trade" and, letting her lick at the handful, take the forbidden item, drop the handful of food on the floor, perhaps throw her ball or a new toy, and put the forbidden item out of reach. You have just made a withdrawal from your dog's "exchange bank account".

Remember to keep her account topped up with occasional deposits ("trade", smelly food to sniff and lick, you pick up the item, give food, give item back).

If your dog starts bringing you things to "trade", great! Start getting her to help pick up the clothes, papers, kid's toys ... scattered around the house. You now have a dog with a job!

Enjoy the Exchange Game!

Carolyn Clark
CAROLARK: Centre for Applied Canine Behaviour ©
2002

HELPING YOUR DOG IN CLASS

Working too close to another dog is distracting for your dog -- it's the type of feeling you get sitting next to someone in the theatre or the bus. Someone who takes more than their share of the seat - they're using some of "your space". They're too close - you are aware of them - you don't feel completely at ease - you wish you could move to a seat of your own, where you would feel more comfortable.

You can help your dog in class by creating a personal space for him. Set him up so that there are 2 or 3 chairs between you and the next dog - it gives the dog a bit more space for himself. He can watch what is happening around him, he can assess the situation without another dog bumping into him unexpectedly, and he'll be more comfortable around the other dogs.

Dogs are pack animals. When they are born, puppies are already part of a pack - their littermates and Mom. When we take them home, we want them to bond to us, to become part of the family, to become part of a new pack. The early training we give them teaches them who is the leader of the pack - the person who makes them Sit for their supper - the person who makes them give eye contact to go out a door - the person who teaches them to come when they're called. Our dogs are quite happy with this life, and they quickly learn how to make their new home and pack work to their best advantage. They know that "cute" wins lots of good things, that sitting makes the leader put food down, that when someone calls them, it's worth their while to hustle. They are quite attuned to the body language of their people, and comfortable in this new living space they have.

Expecting a dog who has bonded to people to feel comfortable around all the dogs he meets on walks, at class, or at the vet's is not reasonable. He'll meet some dogs he likes, some he's not too sure of, and some he just plain doesn't feel happy around. We understand when small children make decisions about people they like, people they are afraid of, children they want to play with, children they don't like - we should be prepared to make the same allowance for our dogs. When you are at a party, and you look around at all the people there, how many of the group would you want to have over for supper on a regular basis???

HELP YOUR DOG WHEN YOU'RE OUT WALKING

Let him work out how he feels about the other dogs he meets from a bit of a distance to start - if you see someone approaching that you haven't met before, take your dog up a driveway or walk, so that he can sit and watch the new dog pass him by from a distance. Chat to him in a calm, cheerful voice - use the "jolly routine" - "Wow, Bailey - look at that!! What a great dog - Good Sit, girl, see??? He's looking at you - What a great dog - you're a good girl. Okay, he's going on with his walk - let's go!"

by Judy Miller, Carolark

Sitting to greet people is essential polite behaviour for any dog. Not many people, either friends or strangers, enjoy being jumped on by your dog. Dogs jumping up can damage clothes, cause bruises and may frighten someone who is fearful of dogs. Even young puppies can be frightening to some people and at the least are annoying when jumping up.

Start now to insist that your dog always sits when people approach you on your walk.  People on the street have no idea how to stop your dog from jumping up, and it should not be their responsibility. Be aware, and manage the situation yourself.

  When you first see people approaching ( when they are still at least 2 houses away), get the dog to Sit, let the leash form a loop from your hand to the ground and up to the dog's collar. Hang on to the leash, and stand on it at the spot where the leash touches the ground. He can continue to sit comfortably, but will not be able to jump up.

  this gets the dog under control as the people approach

  if the dog bounces up, he will self-correct

  give the dog a behaviour to do - "Sit" and reward him for doing that - if he is still learning, give lots of rewards for keeping in Sit position

  keep your attention on the dog during this exercise. Greet the people, but focus on the dog and his Sitting

  keep it short and sweet - tell the dog "All done" and prepare to walk on

  when you carry on with your walk, pass by the other people with the dog on the "outside" so that you are acting as a barrier between the dog and other people - again preventing jumping up

 

  If you must stand and talk, move the dog away, so that he cannot jump up.  Sometimes people insist that they like the puppy to jump up and say hi - they love the puppy smell, he's cute, they had this breed of dog when they were young........

  Be firm and tell them something like "Right now I'm training him to sit so that when we have visitors he won't jump up on them - could you help? I'll get him sitting and then you can pat him"

by Judy Miller, Carolark

Nature and nurture ...

Some dogs are born shy and retiring while a lot of others learn to be fearful of particular situations, people or other dogs.

In either case, the options open to the dog to indicate his fear or concern are limited to fight or flee. We need to recognize the dog's response to fear. While some dogs may display submission by rolling on their back or even urinating (a supreme effort to appease and salute a superior being!) others will try to get away. If a dog cannot run away -- because he is on the leash, confined in a small room, crowded into a corner, or under the bed -- he may be forced to growl a warning and threaten with display of teeth and, perhaps, even lunging. He is saying, "Keep away!"

The treatment

Treatment, in either case, is to help the dog feel happier and more confident in the face of the perceived threat. Reprimanding him will make matters worse, as the dog will now believe that the scary thing is really dangerous -- because whenever it appears his owner gets crazy, yells at him, yanks on the leash... We must change the dog's associations with the object of his fear.

If you have a young puppy, under four months, introducing him to new people, new sights, and new things using toys, food and a happy, upbeat tone of voice is essential. Socializing is the key.

But, forcing the shy and retiring puppy or fearful older dog to approach the scary person or thing is the worst thing one can do. Better to ignore him, let him make the first move and, when he does, laugh and toss a favourite toy or bit of food. Speak happily; use the 'jolly routine' -- laugh and keep hands off. Soothing and comforting with your voice, while a natural human thing to do, will actually have the opposite effect on your dog. He will not understand the words, but will hear the high sometimes whiney anxious tones and will conclude that, yes, there is reason to be afraid -- even the 'Boss' is worried! And then, while we may think we are comforting him by patting him, he actually is being rewarded for the fearful behaviour.

Building confidence

There are many things that you can do to help build your dog's confidence or at least help him to cope.

Train an appropriate behaviour. That is, teach your dog what to do.

Teach a really solid, automatic response to 'sit' using a toy or bit of food as a lure raising it from his nose to just between his ears. When he sits, happily say 'good' and toss his toy or food just behind him. When he is doing well, pause for a count of three after he sits before you say 'good' and toss the toy or food bit. He will have fun chasing the reward.

Now, begin to get him feeling happy around children or other dogs, or whatever scares him. Start at a distance far enough away from the scary thing that the dog remains calm and non-reactive. Begin the 'jolly routine' happily saying "Oh, there's a new person. Sit. Good." And toss the food or toy. Often, just the fact that he understands 'sit' so well helps your dog to feel more confident because he knows what to do. Gradually, over the next few weeks, begin to work closer to the fearful stimulus. Always set the dog up to succeed by staying far enough away for him to feel confident. Be willing to increase the distance again if needed. The scary thing will become the cue for fun with you. And he will be turning away from the scary thing to chase the treat.

The importance of bowing

Offering a 'play bow' signifies friendly intent. Dogs do this to invite play and also to calm themselves and others. Teaching 'bow' as a trick and then getting the dog to 'bow' while on a walk or at the veterinarian's, or when a strange dog approaches, has several benefits. If the dog is bowing, he will begin to feel less threatened. He is presenting a friendly picture to the approaching dog or person and, so, is more likely to be perceived as friendly and non-threatening. Besides, we, too, start to feel happier and more relaxed and this message travels down the leash as well.

Learn the signals

Learn to recognize the natural calming signals, the body language, that dogs use to calm themselves and other beings. You can use this silent language, too.

Dogs will often sniff the ground, yawn, turn their back or sit with their back to the person or dog. If you do the same; turn your back, walk away, crouch down, yawn (I know, I know ... you will feel a little foolish!) you will probably see your dog start to calm down and offer these behaviours. There are many more, of course. On a personal note, we have used these signals with clients, with dramatic results in many cases.

Norwegian writer, Turid Rugaas, has researched this silent language of dogs for over fifteen years. She has written an excellent book, On Talking Terms With Dogs, Calming Signals.

Montreal trainer and writer Jean Donaldson is the author of The Culture Clash, one of the best books ever on understanding our dogs.

Other options ...

There are many other tools available to help fearful dogs. Rescue Remedy, Bach flower remedies and homeopathic preparations, and the hands-on work of Tellington Touch and Reiki are worth exploring.

Menagerie Magazine, March 1998

First, the bad news ...

The bad news is, the puppy bites! The good news: the puppy bites! Puppy biting is normal. In fact, puppies must bite in order to learn that biting hurts. Puppies must learn to inhibit the force of their bite if they want play to continue, either with their puppy buddies or with their human friends.

And here's some more good news: the more he bites as a pup, the more likely he is to have gentle jaws as an adult!

Avoid confrontation

Confrontative, aggressive methods usually provoke more aggression. In a matter of minutes, a normal active puppy can learn that human hands are life-threatening and that he must defend himself at all costs from being touched. Instead, let's teach the puppy to be gentle and to like people.

Bite inhibition is a reflex. It must be established before the puppy is four-and-a-half months old. Instilling bite inhibition is a developmental process. Here's how. Choose a time of day when your pup is relatively calm. Sit with him in a gated-off room. (The kitchen with a baby gate at the doorway works well. You want to be able to leave.) Get your fingers in the puppy's mouth and when the little needle teeth hurt, yelp loudly, let him know it hurts! Keep your hands still and when pup startles and lets go, fold your arms, noisily tell him it hurts as you step over the gate and out of sight. Leave him by himself for a minute. Come back into the room, calmly and quietly telling him to be gentle as you repeat the process. As soon as you feel any pressure at all, pretend it hurts and repeat the process. Puppy biting becomes puppy mouthing. Now you can teach him to stop when you say stop ('off') and, ultimately, not to initiate mouthing at all.

Touching tolerance

We need to teach our puppies (and our older dogs) to like people, to be confident around people of all shapes and sizes and to enjoy being touched. It is important to note that, just as people do not enjoy having their heads patted, neither do most dogs. Offer the pup a bit of food with one hand. If the puppy takes it, offer a second bit of food and, as the puppy is taking it, touch him briefly on the side of his neck or his chest with the other hand. As you progress, one nugget of food at a time, touch him more firmly -- touch a foot, check an ear, rub his chest -- until, before you know it, you are both thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Now, get other family members involved following the same steps. If you have children (and if you don't, borrow some), sit on the floor with the children and the puppy. With your hand under the child's hand and your fingers extending a little beyond the child's fingers, offer a 'special' treat such as a bit of chicken or cheese. The puppy soon learns that children are great -- in fact, children give the best treats!

Have a few doggy treats at the front door so that when friends come over, or the paper girl, or the mail deliverer, they can give a special treat too. Wow! Humans are just the greatest thing this side of freeze-dried liver!

Jumping up

Dog jumps on people at the door? Keep a leash at the door. Prepare ahead. Attach the leash, have the dog sit, allow the leash to hang down and, just where it touches the floor, put a mark with a piece of tape or ink. Now when someone comes to the door, put the dog's leash on, step on the leash at the mark, and ignore the dog. Open the door, greet your guest and wait for your dog to stop trying to jump up. He will be 'self-correcting' and will soon stop and sit. Say 'good' and you or your friend can give him a treat. At first he may start 'boinging' again. Wait him out. Repeat.

Soon he will learn that the appropriate way to greet people is to sit. In fact, you can train people to give you neat treats just by sitting and staring at them! Dogs do what works.

Redirecting behaviour

So much of living with a puppy or an older dog is managing normal doggy behaviour while training the behaviour that is acceptable to you. Redirect normal behaviour in a safe, alternate activity.

Puppy is chewing the kids' toys, peeing on the carpet, digging in the plants? Confine the puppy to a safe, puppy-proofed room with safe chew toys, some of his normal food ration stuffed in Kong toys or hollow marrow bones. Toss a handful of kibble on the floor and allow him to scavenge (much more interesting than a dull old dish).

If he is going to be with you out of his safe room, leave a leash attached, tie it to your belt or a table leg and be sure you have the time to supervise him.

Dog chasing the kids? Separate them. When the children are running around that is a good time for pup to be in his crate or safe room with an especially interesting stuffing in his chew toy. Alternately, if you are free to supervise the activity, get two toys. (A tennis ball in the toe of a sock, with several knots tied in the sock, makes a good toy.) The child throws one toy, the dog comes back with it. Ignore that toy and engage puppy's interest in the second. Then switch back again. This two-toy game encourages trading and avoids tug-of-war and chase.

Menagerie Magazine, February 1998

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