Posts tagged "dog training"

You know those times when you just have to pick up one or two things from the drug store, but it's Saturday, and you just can't be bothered to put on pants? Or maybe you just did a big grocery shopping only to return home to discover that you forgot one item, and it's not like you're going to go all the way back to the store for that one thing.

That's when having a dog like this around would come in real handy. Trained to shop on behalf of his owners, the dog can only carry a bag containing a few small items at a time, but it's enough to eliminate some of those annoying errands that you're too lazy to do yourself.

Our dogs have so much more potential that we usually give them credit for. Start being creative about how you train yours, and you may never have to leave your home again.

Sometimes when my cat is giving herself a bath, and I call her name to get her attention at the right moment, she'll look at me mid-lick and forget to put her tongue back in her mouth. I find this hilarious every time. And though she often leaves her tongue hanging out for several long seconds, all my attempts to photograph it or call it to anyone else's attention have failed; she always manages to retract the tongue at the last second.

This video makes me wish cats were as trainable as dogs, and that I had the apparent patience of this border collie's owner. I wouldn't have to wait for the right tongue-wagging moment to try to snap a picture, only to fail once again. I could get my cat to do it on command. I could show it to all my friends. I could show my folks when we Skype on Sundays. And, as evidenced by this clip, I could upload an awesome video to YouTube and show everyone else in the world too.

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 more than 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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Q: We have a Lab/Chow mix who we got from the Humane Society when she was 6 years old. She is 9 years old now. We don'’t know anything about her history before we got her. She is very sweet but extremely stubborn when we attempt to walk her on leash, refusing to move by sitting or pulling back. We can sometimes coax her into it, but other times we need to take her in the car to a field nearby where she usually will walk. We don't think a training class would help because she does not take to other dogs readily. What do you suggest we do to help her enjoy going for a walk?

A: For this interesting case, I may have more questions for you than answers, but I hope they'’ll help you solve this puzzle. However, I do agree that a training class is probably not the best solution for your pup.

Fluoxetine is a veterinary drug used to relieve separation anxiety in household dogs. As part of a Paw Nation series providing background about the medical problems your pet may suffer, we spoke to Dr. Butch Schroyer, owner/operator of the Animal Care Clinic in Lexington, Ky., to get some insights about the drug. You should always consult your veterinarian before giving medicine or supplements to your pet.

What is fluoxetine?
Fluoxetine is our Prozac. That's what it boils down to ... doggy Prozac. Fluoxetine is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, or SSRI, which are a group of drugs used in humans to address depression, anxiety disorders, compulsive disorders, and difficulty in managing aggression. In the veterinary world fluoxetine is one of the few drugs approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs. While many veterinarians use it to treat this type of behavior in both dogs and cats, these are "off-label" uses not formally approved by the FDA.

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 more than 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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Q: Why does Gus, my 2-year-old German shepherd, bark when the doorbell rings on a television show? We've never even had a doorbell, so it's not like he's expecting someone. Is it just the sound that bugs him?

A: When most dogs bark up a storm upon hearing the doorbell, it's because they're pairing the sound with what happens next. Doorbell rings; stranger appears at door. In behavioral terms, we would say the sound of the doorbell has generalized if the dog also barks when he hears a doorbell on television.

But, in your case, you've told us that you don't have a doorbell and Gus barks when he hears one on television. Has Gus ever been exposed to a doorbell, so that he learned that the sound is a signal strangers might appear?

Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the Dalmatian mix he and his wife, Anna, adopted as a puppy in late 2009.

Last night, in the midst of the most brutal rainstorm of the season so far, Anna took Pippi out to do her business. They were out only for a minute or two, but in between going No. 1 and getting drenched to the bone, Pippi sniffed something on the ground and promptly began devouring it. Anna wrenched the item from her mouth, but then she picked up something else and successfully wolfed it down. Whether these were bits of some old pizza, bagel or shoelace, we'll never know.

If you have a dog, you've surely experienced situations where your pup's nose uncovers contraband that is otherwise invisible to the human eye. (Did we ever tell you about the time Pippi stuck her head in the bushes and came out with a dead squirrel between her teeth?)

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 more than 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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Q: Why do my two dogs stand face to face and just bark at each other? It's like these two little ones are having a bark off. What are they thinking?

A: If you can hear me over the barking, I'd say that to speak and understand dog language, you need to listen to the barks and pay close attention to the body language of the dogs.

- Dogs bark when they are excited or want to play. If you watch the body language of your two barkers, do they eventually break away, run and play, do a play bow, or stir up a game? Barking related to play will usually be accompanied with a relaxed body posture and sometimes a wagging tail.

- Barks that are short, insistent yips can mean, "Stop that!"

- If you see a stiff body along with a low-pitched growl, the barking can be a warning sign as in, "Get out of my space!"

- Some dogs have a "look at me!" bark and some barks have the function of getting attention.

In general, canine barking is all about communicating. Listen to the bark and look at the body and behavior of what happens during and right after the barking and you'll soon be speaking fluent dogspeak.

Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife, Anna, adopted as a puppy in late 2009.

The reasons dogs jump on people is simple -- they want to be face to face with us. It makes sense; heck, if my head naturally sat 18 inches off the ground I would get tired of it, too. But it's also not something you want your dog to do. Even if you don't mind her jumping up on you, it sets a bad precedent for other people. Not everyone is a dog lover, and even those who are can be put off by a 50-pound wiggle worm getting up in their business.

We wrote last year about a woman whom Pippi annoyed after jumping up on her collarbone. You readers wrote in and told us this was unacceptable, and we listened to you. But a full year and a stint in obedience school later, we can't get her to keep four on the floor -- not even close. Our attempts to discipline her against doing this have been entirely unsuccessful. She still tries to jump up on people in the street, and it often takes all of my strength to stop her.

It's not just the Westminster Best in Show 2011 winner, who thrives under praise. Paw Nation interviewed more than two dozen Westminster Dog Show handlers, owners and officials and found that every one we spoke with uses positive reinforcement dog training, in which praise is emphasized and bad behavior is mostly ignored.

The biggest name in the dog world right now, Scottish deerhound Hickory, is busy taking in the adoration and good wishes of not just the fans at the Westminster Dog Show but animal lovers all over the world. Fortunately, she's had good training for all the attention from the likes of Martha Stewart and more. She became the champion she is today mostly because of the guidance and positive encouragement of handler Angela Lloyd.

"Praise is the key to get inside a dog's head and heart," says Lloyd, who believes that dogs respond magnificently "if you are going to show them unconditional love."

Lloyd's mother, Gwen Plush says that her daughter has become a champion because she "bonds with the animals she shows. She understands them and they love her." Lloyd, now 31, has been going to dog shows since she was a child and in 1998 earned the Westminster Show's Junior Showmanship title.

What the Westminster Experts Say
Thomas Bradley, the Westminster Dog Show's chairman for the past 10 years, says that "positive reinforcement has been on the rise for quite some time." Bradley says that, as far as he knows, new methods among elite show dog handlers are all based in positive reinforcement.

Make a Game of It - Westminster Junior Showmanship competitor 17-year-old Sarah Broom has shown her champion basset hound, Castle Hill's Never Too Rich CD, nicknamed Nicole, at Westminster for the past two years. Broom learned to train and handle dogs in the 4H Club and says, "It's better to tell your dog what she does right." Broom makes the long hours of training more fun with games and toys. She believes that positive reinforcement is the best way to properly train any dog, show dog or not. She has also trained Nicole to be a companion dog, and together they help at-risk kids read in school programs.

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 more than 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 dogs. Hollie is 1.5 years and Rudi is 3.5 yrs. Although Hollie is generally self-assured, when we try to leave the house with just Rudi, Hollie barks and cries. She's not destructive, but she's clearly distressed to be left behind, despite the fact that she has her favorite toys and a Kong filled with peanut butter, which she loves.

Even when Hollie is left behind with a person, she's still unhappy. When we're on walks, if I fall behind with Rudi and my husband tries to go ahead with Hollie, she'll hang back. Hollie is a mixed breed, likely with some hound and shepherd in her, so I wonder if she has some sort of herding tendency or if it's just a sad display of dependence. What can I do to make her more comfortable when she's the only dog at home?

Hollie's situation is so fascinating because usually when we hear about separation issues, the dog has problems when the people leave the home. In Hollie's case, her separation distress is a result of Rudi, the other dog, leaving, which most often happens when the dogs are littermates.

I would suggest following the same protocol that is used for separation anxiety when the dog has a negative reaction to people leaving. You'll need to set up some times for training sessions apart from times when you really need to leave the house.

January is National Train Your Dog Month, a campaign started last year by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to promote the importance and benefits of positive, gentle training methods.

Even if your dog isn't ready for an agility championship competition, you can still teach him a few tricks this month by using his favorite reward -- treats! To help get you started, our friends at Zootoo rounded up their top picks for training treats that will get your pooch to sit, stay and roll over for more.

For a top-quality training treat with an A-plus ingredient list, try Dognation Treats, part of the line of products from Freshpet. Entirely preservative free, Dognation's formula features nutrients such as iron and B vitamins to maintain your dog's energy during an active training session. And our tester dog found the texture and taste of both the chicken and beef recipes irresistible.


Another solid all-natural training treat option, Tillman's Training Tips Dog Treats from Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance use ingredients like maple syrup and turkey to reward your dog's latest accomplishment. Dogs will appreciate the soft, chewy texture and the satisfying taste of real meat. Owners will appreciate the lack of preservatives and artificial flavors.

What a good dog! She's so well-trained, making eye contact and giving a high five on cue! Well done, friend!

She's also really hungry and would very much appreciate it if you could save the high fives for later, as the dish of food sitting in front of her is incredibly tantalizing. But, look, she doesn't want to be rude. She will politely wait until you give her the OK -- and until then, the torturous high fives will have to do.

But, pleeeaaase, she really doesn't want to wait any longer, so if you would just ...

Yes! Food! Thank you! Food! Nourishment! Delicious! High fives all around!

It's no wonder that Labrador retrievers have been the most popular dog breed in the United States for the past 19 years straight. They are sweet, family friendly and super trainable. To prove our point, here are videos of Labradors that have learned to perform common tricks, compete in athletic competitions, assist humans and even save lives.

Gordon tears up the course in this agility competition. Too bad we can't crank the
trance music at the actual agility events, since it certainly heightens the drama!

Do you baby your pets? Forget what your friends say, Washington D.C.-area dog expert (and trainer of Presidential pup Bo Obama), Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz thinks that parenting a pup is absolutely the right thing to do. As long as you are the right kind of parent.

Sylvia-Stasiewicz noticed the many similarities between raising children and pets during her twenty-plus years of dog training. Similar to encouraging children through praise, she believes that dogs can learn good behavior by being rewarded for doing well. Her new book, "The Love That Dog Training Program," written with Larry Kay, shares those parenting/dog training lessons.

Paw Nation recently caught up with Sylvia-Stasiewicz to learn more about her philosophy and her advice for new and seasoned dog owners. Below are five things she says every dog owner should know.

5 Things Every Dog Owner Should Know

1. Positive reinforcement works. By focusing on success when they do what we want, Sylvia-Stasiewicz says, dogs become more spirited to learn and succeed, and behavior problems are retrained rather than made dangerous by suppressing them. If you're a longtime pet owner yet haven't tried positive reinforcement, Sylvia-Stasiewicz says it's never too late -- she crossed over 20 years ago and never looked back.

It's back! If you're a fan of Animal Planet's reality show "It's Me or the Dog," you won't be disappointed with the third season, which begins Sat., Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. EST. If you haven't already checked out the show, tune in to see renowned dog expert and trainer Victoria Stilwell "restore harmony in homes where pets are running riot and the family is in the doghouse."

Stilwell tells Paw Nation that the new season is not just entertaining and educational -- it's intense and full of characters. "It's more than just dog training. There are a lot of challenges in this series," Stilwell says. "There are different behaviors that you haven't seen before and some really great people."

Real Housewives, Pampered Poodles, Angry Pit Bulls and More
One such person is Jill Zarin of the reality television show "Real Housewives of New York." Stilwell comes in to help Zarin with the family's cantankerous Chihuahua, Ginger. (Check out scenes from the segment in the video below.) Then there's the bunch of pampered poodles that live in a Long Island castle and a micro pig that is in dire need of training.

Stilwell's most memorable case though? A family in Staten Island, all living in the same house with a pit bull that started displaying worrying and aggressive behavior toward people. Like most dog training she does, fixing the issues wasn't just about working with the dog but also its owners.

"Some of the people on the show are really honest, and they understand they've just gone down the wrong path, so then it's about retraining the dog," she says. "Other times it is their behavior affecting their dogs in a negative way."