Posts tagged "MaryBurch"

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's columnist addressing questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She's the author of 10 books, including the official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I recently adopted a 3-year old mixed-breed dog named Sally. When other dogs approach, she will drop to her belly and won't budge. Sometimes she just stays there, and sometimes she springs up right as they're walking by and wants to play. This scares both the dog and it’s owner. What do you recommend?

From the way that you have described Sally's behavior, it sounds as though she is a submissive dog. When other dogs approach, submissive dogs will usually avoid eye contact with the other dog, keep their heads down or simply drop to the ground and lay on their backs with their bellies up.

It’ is as though the submissive dog is signaling to the other dog, “I don't want any trouble. If I lay down and expose my belly, you won'’t think I am trying to threaten you and you won'’t feel the need to fight.”

Just as you described so well with Sally, once the submissive dog knows that everything is okay, she will spring up ready to pounce and play. A relaxed body posture, wiggling, and play bows (where the dog has it’s front paws and head lowered) are indicators that the dog is ready to play.

Here are some suggestions to help Sally gain confidence around other dogs:

1. Organize play dates. Provide plenty of socialization and experience with other dogs. You can do this by inviting canine friends and their owners over for the afternoon.

2. Try controlled interactions on leash. As you take your dog for a walk, carefully observe another dog on leash that is approaching. If the dog is friendly (with a relaxed body posture) allow the owner and dog to approach and meet Sally. Have a happy voice and praise when your dog has appropriate reactions to the other dog. Whatever you do, don’'t baby your submissive dog (e.g., “there, there, you'll be alright).

3. Visit dog parks. To begin with, make sure there are only a few dogs present when you bring Sally to the dog park. One or two dogs would be ideal. If there are canine bullies who intimidate your dog, you should leave. If your dog is extremely fearful, she may not be quite ready for the dog park.

4. Consider agility training. This is fun for both dogs and owners and it is one of the very best confidence building activities for dogs who are submissive.

If your dog is extremely submissive and routine socialization does not help the problem, consider getting behavioral help from an experienced trainer or animal behaviorist. Most likely, you'’ll need to do systematic desensitization where you’'ll start with your dog at a distance and over time, gradually move her closer and closer to other dogs.

Good luck with Sally!

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Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail mary@pawnation.com. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Paw Nation is not staffed to address individual questions about pet health, and we want your pet to stay healthy!

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's columnist addressing questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She's the author of 10 books, including the official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a bichon frise that's going blind. I've heard of dogs being trained to help as a seeing-eye dog for their "siblings." Do you have any advice on how we can do this? The dog going blind is 6 and has been with us since birth. The other bichon frise is a rescue dog that gets along with her "sister" well.

It's great that you are already planning on ways to help your pet adjust to the changes in vision. Here's a link to a story on Paw Nation that is just exactly what you’'re asking about, i.e. one dog in the household being the guide dog for a dog who is blind.

There are some things you can do to get started. Remember, your blind dog will now see the world through the other senses of smell, touch, and hearing.

1. Establish a daily schedule with routines so the blind dog knows what is about to happen. This includes keeping meal times, play and exercise time, and bedtime routines fairly consistent. It is also important to keep everyday objects in their same places (e.g. the blind dog'’s food dish or bed is always to the right of the other dog’s').

2. Be sure to use verbal cues throughout the day to tell the blind dog what is happening. For example, "“Let’s go for a walk!”" or "“Time for dinner!"”

3. Have the helper dog wear tags or a bell on her collar so the blind dog can hear when she is nearby or is approaching.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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How can I stop my dog from begging at the table?

When those sweet brown boxer eyes look up at you, it's hard to resist sharing a piece of your pot roast. Yet begging at the table is one canine habit that can quickly become a nuisance.

If your dog begs, don't give in. You need to ignore the begging 100 percent of the time for the behavior to go away. Make sure your family members and friends do the same. Consistency is key to changing your dog's behavior.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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My family and I are about to move. How can we help our dog adjust to a new home?

To help things go smoothly for your dog, one of the most important things you can do is to keep to a strict schedule so that your dog has the security that comes with a regular routine.

In the first few weeks of your move:

- Be consistent about routine trips outside so there are no house training accidents.

- Keep the dog's diet and mealtimes consistent so he knows when to expect meals.

- Be sure to plan daily walks, playtime and other activities such as daily brushing.

Finally, providing your dog with his own bed, toys, dishes and a place to eat will help him learn that he's there to stay. After all, there's no place like home.

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Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail mary@pawnation.com.

If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Paw Nation is not staffed to address individual questions about pet health, and we want your pet to stay healthy!

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I'm planning on taking several long road trips this Fall. My dog isn't a particularly nervous dog but he doesn't seem to like the car. How can I train my pooch to enjoy car rides and also keep him happy in the car for extended stretches of time?

I'm glad you are giving both you and the dog some time to get him acclimatized to the car and travel. Here are seven things you can do so you both enjoy the trip.

1. To make your dog happy on long road trips, start off with short ones and gradually lengthen the time.

2. Make car rides fun by taking your dog to a park or to get a special treat. If the only time you rode in a car was when you were going to get a root canal, you would soon hate the car.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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Mary, I'm about to get a dog, and I want to be a good owner, but I don't know exactly what that means. When I was growing up, we kept our dogs outside. Other than feeding them, they fended for themselves. You've been around a lot of dogs and owners; what do you think are the most important things for a new owner to do? Also, do you have advice on ways to bond with an older dog? I'm planning on adopting one that's not a puppy.

It's great that you want to start off right with your dog and I understand that it is a big responsibility. I know I'm biased because I work with the AKC but I believe that even though you are planning on adopting an older dog, the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program has a good message for all dog owners as does the Canine Good Citizen responsible dog owner's pledge.

1) AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program
S.T.A.R. is an acronym for Socialization, Training, Activity (exercise) and a Responsible owner. Those are the four main components of what every dog needs to have a good life and by understanding and committing to these, you really will have a strong grounding in being a good pet parent.The key elements to S.T.A.R. are:

Socialization. This means you give your dog plenty of chances to get out and experience the world as he meets new people and other dogs.

Training. This can be done at home if you have the skills and know-how. Every dog, including your older dog, can also benefit from a training class such as agility, obedience, rally, or a therapy-dog class.

Activity. This translates to daily exercise, is a critical component of keeping your dog mentally and physically healthy.

Responsible ownership. This seems to be what you are really asking and the basic obligations of being a conscientious owner are best defined in the AKC Canine Good Citizen Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge that is shown here. Following the pledge will ensure that you've placed yourself in the category of a good (or great!) dog owner.

You have a dog you just can't get to behave. Who would you turn to? That seems to be one of the questions raised in a recent Time Magazine article called, "Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance."

The article stirs up a long-running debate among experts in the dog training and behavior world about what is the best way to work with dogs. Many experts have gone on record against Millan's use of dominance techniques -- finger jabs, quick flicks to a dog's flank and forcing a dog onto its back -- to assert control over an aggressive or misbehaving canine. "He's a charming, one-man wrecking ball directed at 40 years of progress in understanding and shaping dog behavior and in developing non-punitive, reward-based training programs." one expert wrote in a 2006 New York Times op-ed piece about Millan. (Millan will be the first person to tell you that he is not a dog trainer, but akin to a "dog psychologist.")

Victoria Stilwell, the British dog trainer and star of Animal Planet's,"It's Me or the Dog," espouses the positive-reinforcement method of dog training, and the liberal use of treats to coach an ill-mannered dog into displaying better behavior. "She uses positivity as a counterpoint to dominance theory and reserves her aggression for the poorly behaving humans," says the article's author, Jeninne Lee-St. John.

Viewers of his popular show, "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel know that Millan is not averse to using a bag of treats to lure a shy dog out of a kennel, for example. But the main thrust of Millan's techniques is based on dominance theory, in which the dog submits to the human.

Experts quoted in the Time article say that this dominance style is based on an outdated study of wolves. That study suggested that the alpha-male wolf emerged by displaying aggression over other wolves and the idea is that because dogs are descended from wolves, humans need to display alpha behavior (or be the "pack leader," as Millan would say), dominating their pet dogs to get them to behave.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I just moved from the country to the city and brought Sarah, my 3-year-old dog with me. She is friendly, but sometimes the volume of people and activity alarms her. What particularly concerns me is that we live near a kindergarten, and when children rush up to greet her, it always scares her a little. Sarah's a small, cute 25-pound mixed-breed dog, and she's never bitten anyone nor even seemed inclined, but I want her to feel more comfortable around children.

Life certainly would be easier for dogs if someone had taken the time to teach children how to safely interact with them in a positive way. That would include not rushing or running up to a dog, especially in a group of screaming children, and always asking permission before you pet the dog.

Consider approaching the situation with a two-part strategy. The first step involves guiding the curious children in your new neighborhood on the best way to approach and interact with your dog. The second part is all about helping your dog feel calm and happy in the company of new people. Especially new little people.

Focus on the Children
Although you may feel awkward telling other people's children what to do, as Sarah's owner, you absolutely have the right to give instructions to those interacting with her. Begin by acknowledging the children's parents and make sure they've approved of their kids playing with your dog. Then, with a friendly smile, tell the children not to run, but to please walk up to Sarah quietly and calmly. Show the children how to pet Sarah one at a time under her chin.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a 3-year-old dog named Sandy who swallows surprising things. She has plenty of chew toys, but if I leave out a pen or iPod headphones or anything else out, she may swallow it. I work hard to dog-proof my home, but my kids aren't always so careful. I yell at the dog and pull things out of her mouth, but I wish there was something more I could do.

The technical term for what Sandy is doing is called pica, the eating of non-edible objects. There can be different causes of pica including nutritional deficiencies, digestive disorders, and plain, old-fashioned boredom. But whatever, the cause, pica can result in problems ranging from a mild stomach upset to life threatening health conditions such as a bowel obstruction or choking.

It isn't unusual for dogs to occasionally ingest something they shouldn't but if she makes it her life's mission to find and eat non-edible objects, this could be a serious compulsive behavior. If that's the case, you should contact an animal behaviorist to see her in the home.

Assuming that Sandy eats the small objects only every now and then, there are several things you can try other than yelling (which you've already said yourself doesn't work!):

1. If there's any chance she'll have access to dangerous objects when you are gone, crate training is a way to keep her safe.

2. If you catch Sandy with an inedible item in her mouth, take it and immediately replace it with something that is acceptable for her to chew.

3. I know that you said that you have a variety of acceptable, safe, chewable toys around that Sandy can find easily. If Sandy never chooses the toys and "chewies" that you have available, try some new varieties to determine if there are some that she'll like. On the chance that Sandy is choosing items that have your scent on them, try putting your scent on the acceptable toys by rubbing your hands on them. Consider buying an interactive dog toy where Sandy has to work to find a treat hidden in the toy as that may spark her imagination.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a 6-year-old Lab named Charlie. I also have a new man in my life who has a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog (about Charlie's size) named Kathy. The problem is that Kathy and Charlie don't get along. We tried having them meet on neutral ground at the dog park, but they just ignored each other or snapped a little. When I bring Charlie over to my boyfriend's house, Kathy is very territorial, and vice versa. How would you recommend we get these dogs to like each other?

It was a good idea to have Charlie and Kathy meet on neutral ground. Now the goal is to get Kathy to allow Charlie in her house (and, as you say, vice versa). Kathy and Charlie could both benefit from learning some basic skills that can be used to manage their behavior when they are together. The reason being that if you can have Charlie and Kathy respond to specific commands -- even when they are distracted by having the other dog near -- you'll be better able to control their interaction.

Start by teaching Kathy and Charlie to sit on command at home in their respective houses when the other dog is not present. A great way to do this is to make sitting a game. As soon as Charlie's rear touches the floor, give him a treat. Move around to different parts of the home or yard to ensure he will sit anywhere, anytime you give the sit command. Practice this when other dogs (not necessarily Kathy) are present so that you know he really has the behavior down. Have your boyfriend do the same thing with Kathy.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I've heard that you can train a puppy to urinate and poop on command. Is that true? I am about to start visiting shelters to adopt a dog, and want to know how I would go about this sort of training.

Standing in the rain or the snow waiting for your dog to do his business is one of the more annoying aspects of dog ownership. Which is why teaching your dog to respond to the command "go pee" is handy when you need the dog to hurry, lift its leg on a nearby bush, and get back in the house. Likewise, training your dog to move its bowels on command is convenient for selecting an appropriate place when you are out in public.

Surprisingly, this skill isn't as hard to teach as you might think. You just have to break it down into steps -- there are five here -- and patiently take your dog through them. The process works the same way for both urination and defecation, but don't try to teach both at the same time. Once your dog has learned to respond to one of the commands, repeat the steps for the other. Here's what you should try:

1. Do Basic House Training: The first step is to teach your dog to "go" outside so that he isn't having accidents in the house.

2. Create a Predictable Schedule: Put your dog on a regular feeding and exercise program so that you know roughly when he will need to defecate.

3. Learn When Your Dog Needs To Relieve Himself: Observe your dog to determine its normal schedule for relieving its bowels.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have a 2-year-old Lab mix named Carlos. He has a lot of energy and still acts like a puppy. That's OK with me for the most part, but I'm concerned about how hard he pulls on his leash. Sometimes it feels like he's going to yank my arm off or pull me down the stairs. I'm considering getting a no-pull leash, but I don't know if that will be enough. Do you think I can train Carlos myself?

With patience, you should be able to train Carlos to walk nicely on a leash. At 2 years old, he's an adult (even though he acts like a puppy), and this is the perfect time for him to learn good manners. Pulling isn't just annoying, it is also potentially dangerous as even small dogs can pull you off your feet or injure your joints and muscles with their tugging.

Here are several things you can do to break the leash pulling habit.

1. Don't Reward Pulling
Your dog tugs on the leash to get the forward motion he needs to reach another dog, a great new smell, or something else that he badly wants. Every time you allow Carlos to pull you along, you are rewarding him for dragging you down the street. The trick is to teach him that pulling actually keeps him from his goal (the dog run, park, etc.) whereas walking nicely gets him there much faster. In the book "Citizen Canine," we describe two techniques that are effective for training your dog.

Technique A: If the dog pulls, you stop.
1. When your dog starts to pull, stop.
2. Stand still. Don't move forward with the dog.
3. Wait. The dog will pull, but eventually he'll stop.
4. When he stops pulling, you can praise him and move forward.
5. Uh-oh. He is so excited that you're moving forward, he's pulling again. Now what? Repeat the procedure. It won't take long until he figures out you aren't going anywhere as long as he pulls.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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I have two mixed-breed puppies, a female and a male. They're 7-month-old siblings and have been with me since they were 5 weeks old. The dogs are very active and play a lot, but my concern is that they play very rough. Neither has been hurt so far, but I'm worried that this playing will turn into fighting as they get older. How rough is too rough? How can I tell?

When healthy, active dogs play, it can sometimes seem very alarming. The noise and the intensity of the interaction can make you feel as if you should either run for cover or drag the two dogs apart. Here are a few questions to ask to help you evaluate the situation.

Are both dogs happy or is one or both being hostile?
To help figure out if the dogs are having fun or actually fighting, first look at each individual dog's body language and behavior. Signs of playing include:

-- A lowering of the front of the body with the rear end up. This "play bow" is an invitation to play.
-- A relaxed mouth
-- A desire to continue interacting with the other dog
-- No show of teeth or actual biting (though controlled mouthing is fine)
-- A relaxed posture with the hackles (hair on the back of the neck and shoulders) down

Signs that things are not going so well are when one dog tries to dominate the other by jumping on it, pinning it down so it can't move for an extended period of time, or biting the other dog and causing pain. You should definitely interrupt the game if you see these signs that indicate one dog might not be playing. You may also want to get a book on dog body language so you can better understand what your dogs are communicating.

By Mary R. Burch, PhD, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director

A: Every now and then I hear from an owner who says, "Help, my dog won't stop licking the floor," or "My dog licks everything!" When it comes to excessive licking, the jury is still out on the cause. Several things are suspected; plus, licking could actually have different causes for different dogs.

Excessive licking is often seen as an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) behavior. Some dogs lick when they are bored -- it can be a form of self-stimulation and something to do. In these cases, licking is in the same category as dogs who will snap at flies that aren't there, or chase their tails or shadows.

Most often, we think of OCD as being extreme, such as a woman who washes her hands exactly 40 times before leaving the house or a man who checks the door exactly 10 times before going to bed to be sure it is locked. But OCD can manifest itself in less intense ways in both people and dogs.

One theory about floor licking is there is sometimes a cleaner on the floor with a scent the dog likes. Another theory would be something was dropped on the kitchen floor, and the dog -- with its remarkable sense of smell -- is licking up the fond memory of a piece of yesterday's bacon.

Another common theory is that licking is related to anxiety -- the dog is stressed about something and is engaging in unusual behaviors.

If your dog is licking, don't despair. There are a few thing you can do:

• Make sure your dog has access to clean water all the time.
• Give your pup some acceptable things to chew -- some people offer their dogs a frozen ice cube as a substitute for licking.
• Interrupt the behavior by calling your dog for a short play or training session.

If the licking is really excessive in terms of time spent and intensity, consider a behavioral consultation by a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist.

About the Author
Mary Burch is the director of the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Program. She is one of the 50 Certified Animal Behaviorists in the United States. With more than 25 years of dog experience, Dr. Burch is an international expert on dog therapy. She is the author of nine books, more than 200 articles and has been a lobbyist on legislation concerning hazardous dogs and responsible dog ownership.

Learn more about your favorite breeds at the upcoming Meet the Breeds event in New York City on October 17th - 18th. For more information, visit MeetTheBreeds.com.