My Dog From Hell

A practical guide to understanding why your dog does that thing you hate || Training Index - Asks are closed || Has my advice helped you out? Buy Me a Coffee -

[iamdogtrainer]

Recently a 7 month miniature pincher was brought for evaluation. My client was told by the couple whom they adopted the dog from that he was found in the street wondering with his mother and that was all they knew. Initially when brought home he was quiet and shy but within days he became comfortable and began showing signs of aggression.

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Upon evaluating the dog, I guesstimated he was older than previously believed (15 months) with a Veterinarian guessing the same. After the first week, the dog was still shy, easily agitated when corrected and exhibited dog aggression.

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After my evaluation I pressed my client to see if they can get more information and to let the couple know he was much older than they had said. After much pressing, the couple had agreed that they withheld information on the dog and the story given was not all true.

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The couple stated they felt bad that they did not raise the dog properly and that he had gotten out of hand, and simply wanted to find him a better home. They agreed to never properly socializing the dog and didn’t have the means to pay for training. Their idea of socializing was bringing the dog around other dogs to see but he was so aggressive that they just took him home. When they had guest over, the dog would begin to bark and even bit someone that they just put him in a room without ever correcting the behavior.

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This is a classic story of the quote above, both socializing and training go hand and hand but lacking in one department will only lead to failure in all. Getting a dog requires an investment of patience and time with sometimes having to pay for service to help remedy the situation. For those seeking help, there are avenues to explore but you have to do some research in finding help. I personally help my clients giving deep discounts to those that truly don’t have the means and need help and are willing to do the work to get their dogs trained and socialized.

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#dog #dogs #quotes #instadog #instadaily #dogstagram #dogtraining #story #dogtrainer #pup #weekendvibes #minpin #doglover #pets #family #bulldog #foreverhome #help #pitbull (at Montclair Plaza Mall) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoCQkS7HYzC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ac8apn6974qm

[thegreenwolf]

Socialization is SO important, not just when they’re young but throughout life.

[agilitylabs]

[securityunit-ese]

So I’ve been following the facebook page The Dog Geek for awhile now, because of the easy-to-share-and-educate posters it gives out.

Well turns out they’re a) an actual training company and b) these posters and more are available for free on their website! (Each poster has optional text linked with it)

So above are a bunch I don’t think I’ve seen before

They also put out some useful videos on occasion, as well as info guides!

and you can get custom pictures of your dogs in their cute art style, to boot. Including STICKERS

[millenniallust4death]

Goals can be lofty, expectations should be grounded: I won’t let expectations interfere with goals. Expectations squash goals because they restrict reward opportunities. If I expect my dog to line up, I will be much less apt to reward which will eventually lead to the extinction of that behavior.

From Kristin Wolter’s heartfelt Facebook post on what she learned from being an agility instructor (22 April 2018).

I’ve thought about this concept as I watched yesterday’s training video for Bosco. The session didn’t go well and it’s because I was so focused on what I wanted to accomplish that I missed rewarding Bosco for what he could do. I repeated the session today and it went a lot better.

(via dogs-on-logs)

[scoretheearth]

Can I ask why balance training is bad..? I call myself a balance trainer because while I clicker train and focus on positive reinforcement, I do use a stern voiced "no" as a negative marker and a few positive reinforcement trainers got on me and told me that disqualifies you as being +r.

“No.” means nothing. It is an antecedent like any other cue. What follows is what separates r+ and “balanced” trainers. If the “No” is followed by a leash pop, a swat, a shock, you are forming that word into a punishment. The lowered tone is threatening, which does nothing but create distrust. The dog is learning that you are dangerous when you use that tone or that word and their natural inclination is to avoid confontation, to avoid YOU. Imagine trying to get a recall out of that. Good luck.

Now alternatively, if “No.” is paired with a time out, with the play stopping, with you leaving the room and toys going away, it creates an entirely different working atmosphere in which you are no longer the source of bad things, and training itself does not result in punishing consequences and the likeliness of having a shut down, anxious dog significantly decreases.

Now as far as being “balanced” goes, I would suggest you do some research on poisoned cues. This is primarily where balanced training fails. The idea is, simplistically speaking, to teach via the carrot or the stick method. A balanced trainer would say “sit” and if the dog sits it gets a treat, if it doesn’t, it gets a leash pop or pressure on the bum until it sits. It makes sense to us, however, in the dog’s mind, you have then made the cue “sit” to be ambiguous. Which SUCKS! You said “sit” and afterwards both rewards AND punishments come! Clarity is absolutely necessary for the learner. Ambiguity is more than frustrating, it is damaging. It is shown to lead to what is called experimental neurosis in lab animals. It can be even more confusing than if the cue simply led to either good or bad things.

And by the way, it is not just words. Objects, places, even people can become poisoned. And you can’t entirely undo the damage you have done by poisoning a cue. It is recommended to drop it entirely and retrain with a different word or gesture. You can’t change you, so take care not to make yourself a bad guy in your dog’s eyes.

[thedogfamily]

[allcreaturessmall]

It’s never too late to train and bond with your dog. Louder for the people in the back? It’s never too late to train and bond with your dog!

This is Zap. He came to me three years ago straight off of the euthanasia list because no rescue wanted to pull a HW+ bully mix with an embedded shock collar and no training. He had been chained since puppy hood and had no manners, wasn’t housebroken, didn’t know how to walk on a leash, etc. He gets hyperaroused at barriers like doors and fences and will bite other dogs and sometimes people in these situations.

From the get go, Zap proved to be extremely high energy and highly distractable. He was immensely difficult to train because he had no ability to focus. He was also a very problematic boredom barker; he would bark for hours on end unless he was with other dogs or people, so crating him overnight was difficult. He also grew bored with toys easily so it was hard to provide distractions from barking. A year passed in foster and I admit being busy with work I didn’t work on his issues as hard as I should have. Nobody wanted a “problem dog” and reluctantly I adopted him myself.

Since he was so high energy and difficult to manage, I eventually resigned myself to letting him spend most of the day running and playing with the other dogs. He enjoyed this, but it wasn’t fixing his problems and we weren’t bonding at all as dog and owner; I was not being his handler, but his roommate, and it strained my enjoyment of him. I fostered countless other dogs, all the while ignoring my own.

Then my dog Toki unexpectedly passed to a suspected aneurysm and realized that any one of my dogs could be taken from me by chance at any moment. And I started thinking about Zap and the many ways I’d failed him as a rescuer and an owner. I had a dog living under my roof that I had no bond with. It abruptly became clear how unacceptable that was.

My spouse told me it was a waste of time and money to enroll Zap in classes; he was a “bad dog” who would never improve. I signed him up anyway figuring even if that proved true it would be a good bonding experience. And at first I didn’t expect much out of Zap. But you know what? In just three classes he is learning commands, becoming more focused and attentive, walking more calmly on a leash, etc. He looks forward to outings and has become quite the clinger to me. And I’m realizing he’s not a problem dog, but a dog who was being failed by his handler.

Please, never ever think your dog is a lost cause. Never think you can’t improve their behavior or your bond with your dog. I sincerely regret the years I lost enjoying him, all because I didn’t put in the work. Relationships of all kind take work. So get out there and make it happen.

[labrasmore]

“The pack leader” “He is dominant over his dog” “He is pleasing the alpha”

[securityunit-ese]

Assorted dog in assorted activities

I’m feeling like a photoset of assorted dogs in assorted activities because I spend a lot of time thinking about how many kinds of dogs there are and how there are so many things you can do with them there are too many choices and combinations

RETRIEVING/FIELD ft Fetchitup Dare To Dream

SCOOTERNG AND BIKEJORING ft Polarpaws Bahshi Warrior 

BACKPACKING ft Jaidee Princess Pirate

AGILITY ft Galig Midnight Rhapsody

TREIBBALL ft Nyanga Solar Nite

DOCKDIVING ft Paceaway Masko Zorro 

DANCING WITH DOGS ft Meadowspark Affrica Kira

HERDING ft Cordmaker Mississippi Mud

EARTHDOG ft Stardayne Royal Emperor

CONFORMATION ft Marksman Mylaminit

THERAPY ft Rebbull Rockabilly Cowgirl

OBEDIENCE ft Merrifox Eskimo Joe 

TRACKING/SEARCH ft Tamsala Jiminy Cricket

NOSEWORKS ft Unbekannt Misty Green Mackie Messer

WEIGHTPULL ft Lavoro From Down Under 

RALLY-O ft Rodwell Rose of Harlem

LURE COURSING ft HuntingRidge Spirit of Katana 

ENDURANCE ft Kumbari Stop The Fire 

SLEDDING ft Vanaca’s Magnuticisque

DISC DOG ft Dunwurkn Logical Intent 

PROTECTION ft Haveloc Comet

FLYBALL ft Rokeena Eliza Bennet 

PARKOUR ft Ilnasosa Aroma Aria 

CARTING ft Alchemy Laguna Sunrise

sister post: show line appreciation

[securityunit-ese]

10 Ways to Add More Joy to Your Dog’s Life

By focusing our awareness on our dogs’ experiences, it’s possible to find simple ways to make them happier without working harder, and there are a lot of ways to accomplish just that.

Click on the link above to view the details of their ideas, but here is the summary!

Every day, we do a lot for our dogs: we walk them, feed them, fill their water bowls, groom them, schedule vet visits and give medication … the list goes on. So, it’s natural to feel that we’ve ticked all the dog-duty boxes. 

However, it isn’t always about doing more, but rather, about making what we do more satisfying and joy-filled for our dogs.

By focusing our awareness on our dogs’ experiences, it’s possible to find simple ways to make them happier without working harder, and there are a lot of ways to accomplish just that:

1. Make Life An Adventure

2. Let Them Make Choices

3. Play, Play And Then Play Some More

4. Make Toys And Chews A Priority

5. Learn More About Them

6. Vary Their Food

7. Protect Them From What They Dislike

8. Keep On Training

9. Learn To Rub The Right Way

10. Accept Them For Who They Are

[oregonforestdog]

Here’s something new! I’m starting the process of teaching Ivan to go his bed automatically when he hears a knock at the door. Once all the steps are finished, he should go to his bed without being asked and stay there until I tell him it’s okay. We have a long way to go before this is reliable for an actual stranger at the door, but it’s a start.

[pinkmanthedog]

Deaf and blind Bitsy mastering a new touch cue today! So many people - including “professional dog trainers! - told me that Bitsy’s disabilities would make her untrainable but I’ve never worked with a smarter or more motivated little dog. Every dog can learn if you’re willing to teach! ❤️

[riley-coyotl]

<3

[kat-the-dog-trainer]

Dogs don’t use homonyms.

If you use “drop” as a cue to lie down, you cannot ask your dog to “drop” a ball/frisbee/rope/etc.

Likewise, if you use “down” as a cue to lie down, you can’t use “down” to ask them not to jump on someone.

[philoskylax]

Similarly, “bow” and “down” are not only very similar muscle movements for a lot of dogs, but also sound so frickin similar that I’d never use both for the same dog.

[ranbydoghair]

I use “take a bow” to avoid that confusion!

[brovgsd]

Fenzi TEAM 1 exercises.

[drferox]

I enjoyed your past post on pugs! I had a couple of questions for you: What are your thoughts on retromops? They look similar to the terrier crosses you posted about. Also, what can I, someone who is not a breeder, not-involved-in-dog shows, and planning to only ever adopt older dogs from shelters, do to help pugs? I don't ever intend to buy a pug in the future, but I would certainly be willing to adopt one from a shelter and try to give it a good home. Is that okay?

Any effort towards modifying a breed for better health and welfare is going to be a good start. It will be a long and ongoing process though, and it’s important to have realistic expectations of a project.

If you’re taking a population of pugs and breeding towards less extreme features to improve their facial and skeletal structures, you will get some significant improvement. However, there will still be potential loss of genetic diversity. Let me make some terribly simple graphs.

This is a bell curve, and we’re going to say it represents a population of dogs. If we’re looking at muzzle length, the majority of dogs are going to be pretty average, but you’ll have some that have longer or shorter muzzles.Some variation in a population is normal, though purebreeding as a concept discourages this.

What we have done in the creation of modern purebred dogs is take a small population at the extreme of a phenotype, short faces in this example, and preferentially bred them. The resulting population graph is subsequently shunted towards one end of the graph, but there will be less diversity in this generation overall. Making purebred dogs aims for as narrow a bell curve graph as possible, so all members of the breed look the same.

Because many breeds have lost much of their historical diversity, to ‘breed back’ we then are taking individuals from our already restricted population but at the opposite end of their bell curve, heading back to our historical average.

So while we’re heading back towards a less extreme face (in this example) there is still potential loss of diversity. If you attempt to take the pedigree pug population and simply breed for less extreme features, progress will be slow and you’re going to risk losing diversity.

This can be potentially addressed by bringing in dogs from new populations, which is part of the retromop project. Careful outcrossing both speeds up progress and introduces ‘hidden’ diversity, like macrohistocompatability proteins to a population. We know from conservation that genetic diversity within a population is key to its future.

Unfortunately, some would then see these dogs as ‘not pugs’ because they’re not ‘pure’.

So yes, retromops and similar projects, keep going.

How to help

If you’re not directly involved in the dog breeding world, there are still things you can do. While I absolutely encourage the adoption of pugs and other brachycephalic dogs from shelters, I would discourage anyone from paying money to anyone responsible for breeding brachycephalic dogs without a distinct effort towards longer noses. Whether they call it a sale or adoption doesn’t matter, handing over money only encourages the creation of more.

De-normalising these extreme brachycephalic faces is helpful too. Whether it’s politely explaining that your pet’s constant snuffling noise is because she has difficulty breathing and this causes health problems, to refraining from sharing media which included dogs with flat faces, no longer normalizing these things will help change public perception.

A number of veterinary advertisers agreed to stop using brachycephalic breeds in their advertising, and this is also a good step forward. We do a similar thing with cropped ears and docked tails.

Outright attacking the appearance of the dogs or the breeders that create them wont’ help anything, but removing the reward and positive reinforcement for owning or creating such creatures will slowly change the public perception over time.

[crippledhockwalker]

Reminder: dominance in dogs is not about “winning” or “who does what” or “who is the leader.” Dominance refers to who wants a limited, valuable resource the most. It is fluid between groups of dogs and can change with time. It also is only in a group of equals - so puppies to puppies and adults to adults.

If you’re using dominance to justify bullying behaviour, aggressive behaviour, or how humans interact with dogs, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of canine behaviour. Dominance theory is not a thing. It’s not accurate, and it’s widely misinterpreted to boot.

Just a friendly PSA from a few posts that I cringed over.

[whimsicalwoofs]

A good bit on Clicker Training from Karen Pryor’s Don’t Shoot The Dog