impulse control

Posts Tagged impulse control

Puzzle Pieces: Choosing The Right Dog To Fit Your Lifestyle

A Westminster breed win causes the winning breed’s lovers to cringe for their breed. So can movies made about a particular breed. Dalmatians, Siberian Huskies and Chihuahuas to name a few, have already suffered through this fate. Backyard breeders pop up like weeds and rescues will be overflowing in the not too distant future. The same thing can happen when a particular breed is featured on the cover of a popular non-dog related national magazine. This recently happened with the Belgian Malinois.

It is especially harmful to a breed when the reputation is what can be seen as “bad ass” for lack of a better term. I imagine that the millions of Pit Bull type dogs that have lost their lives for varying reasons because of what has been done to them via public perception would have preferred to avoid the “bad ass” persona. Unlike the majority of dogs that perform a job for humans, Pit Bull type dogs actually do make great family dogs in most cases.

The same cannot be said of many Malinois. Or a working line Border Collie. Or a working line Australian Cattle Dog. Or so many other dogs that need a job in order to remain sane. Think of them as Type A dogs. Type A dogs are very much like your Type A friends who cannot sit still and relax unless exhausted. And even then, they struggle with this thing called the off switch. I know this. I am a Type A person.

Type A dogs need a job. Seriously, we are not talking just part of the day. We are talking most of the time. Dogs like this need almost constant mental stimulation or they will make their own and you may not agree with their interpretation of said mental stimulation.

So when a Type A dog breed suddenly becomes popular, people who are not planning on working their dog many hours a day decide to get the latest “cool” dog breed. While in a few cases, this will create a new fanatic of said breed, dedicated to their dog’s emotional stability, in most cases this ends up on the opposite end of that spectrum.

Typical of happens when Siberian Huskies — or other Type A breeds — aren’t kept busy.

The best way to prevent this scenario is to research, research and then research again when you plan on adding to your current crew. Areas of consideration include your lifestyle and your available time, your current crew’s tolerance level and likes and dislikes among other canines, your available finances and what a new addition would require, your available space and what your considered breed requires and even your plans for the future and whether an addition fits with them.

I am sure that I am preaching to the choir with my readers, but dogs are not fads nor are the meant to be disposable. They should be a lifetime (of the dog) commitment. Careful consideration that you have the right situation for the breed that you lust after is important to future happiness for everyone involved in the decision. Adopting or purchasing a puppy, especially a backyard bred version, of a Type A dog without having all the puzzle pieces in place will be a disaster in the making. Save yourself some angst and spend quality time matching your lifestyle and your current crew to what fits best, rather than basing your decision on the cool factor or an attractive face. That doesn’t work well for human pairings, it doesn’t work any better for choosing the canines in your life!

Tags: behavior, breed, choose, choosing, crate, dog, dogs, dominance, exercise, how, impulse control, job, Malinois, many, multiple, popular, positive, puppy, pure bred, relax, sit, stability, stimulation, train, working

Posted in: Projects

Tales From The Stark Side: Do Dogs Need Toys?

Do you need toys? No, not the toys you played with when you were a child. But grown up ‘toys’. There are so many examples and each person views different things as entertainment and enjoyment aids. Things such as sports equipment, books, music, TV, video games, exercise equipment, etc. I could name hundreds of items that different humans view as their version of toys. Most people have both active and passive ‘toys’. Some ‘toys’ physically tire us out. Some ‘toys’ mentally tire us out. Both have their place and both are necessities.

Everyone unwinds in different ways. Dogs are like that too. One dog may enjoy a good chew on an antler to unwind after dinner. Another dog may enjoy racing around the house after a ball. Yet another may view stuffed toys as calming and self-soothing.

Where it gets complicated in some multiple dog households is when there is some resource guarding that has gone unchecked. I have been to homes where things have progressed to the point that all of the toys were removed. Ponder the significance of that statement and apply it to your own life. Wow, powerful thought, isn’t it? How would do you deal with that? Would your sanity be in danger with no recreational outlet? I know mine would. Now why would it be any different for your dogs? Everyone needs environmental enrichment. This is crucial for mental stability.

One English Setter chews on a toy as another looks on.

All dogs like toys of one type or another.

It’s even worse for dogs who have never had toys or have had them taken away early in life. The reasons often vary. They range from pulling all of the stuffing out of stuffed toys to eating a Kong and needing surgery. These are remedied in different ways but are not a reason to eliminate toys on a permanent basis.

Stuffed toys: it’s fun for a dog to pull out the stuffing. As long as they are not ingesting said stuffing, simply buy very inexpensive dollar store stuffed toys and supervise. Let them have a blast. Get over the clean up factor. It’s not the end of the world to pick up toy stuffing. If they are pulling out the stuffing in order to get to the squeaker, there is a line of stuffed toys called Egg Babies that have stuffed eggs in the pocket of a stuffed toy that allows the dog to pull the squeaker out without damaging the toy. It usually takes only a moment for a dog to understand this concept once shown. My own beloved Merlin adored his Platypus Egg Baby. It was the only toy he did not disembowel!

Sucky toys: my Kenzo loves to suck on his tuggy toys. This relaxes him. Some dogs like to knead and suck on pillow type toys or even throw pillows. Any Doberman that I have ever shared my life with has done this. Again, thrift stores/low cost options are your friends here. And supervise.

Antlers: some dogs love them, some can take them or leave them. Dogs that like harder chew things like deer antlers, dogs that like softer things often prefer elk antlers. There also now are hollow horns available that are yet even softer than antlers. Know your dog’s chewing style. If their goal is to break the antlers, then these are not the right chew things for them.

Nylabones and the like: again, some dogs love them, some dogs can’t be bothered. Most dogs like the Nylabone Galileo and Benebones of some sort. Just don’t step on them in the middle of the night or drop them on your foot. Ouch! Size these toys appropriately for your dog.

Kongs and other food dispensing toys: choose the hardiness appropriate for your dog. If he can’t have a Kong goodie bone because he may break it in half, then get the larger Kong products. There are so many to choose from that there is bound to be one appropriate for your dogs.

Sturdy toys for destroyer dogs: I get so many people saying their dogs destroy everything and no toy is safe so they stop buying toys. Nonsense. I have found Cane Corso proofed toys. If they can’t destroy these toys, neither can your dog. Try them. Your dog will thank you. There are several among the tried and tested options. Jolly Balls, Orbee balls, Kong Wubba, the aforementioned Nylabone Galileo and now Bully Make products. Again, size appropriately.

Now for the more challenging equation. Multiple dog households with a resource guarder or two. Number one, get in-home professional behavior assistance. Run, don’t walk, to your search engine and find a qualified one in your area. Email me and I will find you one. Your dog’s sanity depends on it. They need toys. In the meantime, set up sturdy tethers with the guarders in question, out of reach of one another and give them something to help them relax. Or crate them for this activity on a regular basis. I prefer tethers as they learn to do this in proximity to one another without making poor choices. You can also spend separate time with each playing with active toys. It’s THAT important.

Some of you may be thinking that your dog doesn’t like any toys. Again, nonsense. You just haven’t found the kind they like yet. Even if the only thing they end up liking is gnawing on a marrow bone, that is better than no toys at all. And toys don’t have to be actual toys. Plenty of dogs like to simply carry something around and not actually play with it. Some dogs like to play with empty plastic soda bottles and nothing else. Some dogs just want to run around the house. This is still play. And sometimes you have to teach a dog that it can be fun to play with toys. That usually starts with food but it’s not always necessary.

A word about exceptions to the playing requirement. Often when dogs get older, they grow less interested in play. That is normal but they still typically view something as relaxation. My Siri is twelve now (when this was written many years ago) and she occasionally still ‘beats up on’ Kenzo for fun but she always carries her huge furry ball around in her mouth. Mela carried on the stuffed ball tradition on after Siri. Other exceptions are dogs that are simply finding their own peace sniffing on their walks. That is great.

The stressed dogs I am talking about have little in the way in mental stimulation. If you walk your dogs daily and they have toys available to them but don’t play with them much, then don’t worry. But if they get neither walks (that are calming because reactive dog walks are NOT calming!) or toys, then you very likely have a problem. So allow your dogs toys. Teach them if you have to. I guarantee you that once you engage your dog(s) with toys, you will have a much happier and more mentally stable dog than you had before. Try it. There is joy in play and relaxation time. Allow your dogs that joy.

Tags: behavior, chew, dog, dogs, household, impulse control, kong, manners, many, mental, multiple, positive, relaxation, resource guarding, shelter, squeaker, stress, stuffed, toys, train, training, tug toys, unwind

Posted in: Projects

Holiday Manners: Teaching a Wordless ‘Leave It’ to a Multiple Dog Crew

Originally posted December 8, 2011

‘Tis the season for food in abundance and celebration en masse. Platters are laden; counters and tables hold feasts not seen on a daily basis. Temptations are great for humans and “beasts” alike. It’s hard enough for humans to not partake in excess. Yet many people expect their dogs to ignore such culinary delights completely without giving a thought to training them for such a feat in advance.

Do you banish your crew from family gatherings that include easy access to tasty treats for fear of extreme counter surfing activities? Or do you include them, but live in fear of a guest dropping a morsel of food that isn’t dog friendly and having to move faster than you ever wanted to? Fear no more; train instead!

Teaching your dogs to leave things alone that you have not personally provided to your them is a behavior that should be a priority from day one, but it’s never too late to start. But train in advance of the need so that you and your pups are not frustrated. Until your crew’s training is perfected, practice good environmental management. This includes not leaving enticing things within reach on counters, tables, floors, etc.

Never reward your dogs in any way for jumping up on the same raised surfaces, such as with petting, verbal engagement, etc. If you drop something onto the floor that you want to give to your dogs, pick it up and hand deliver it to them rather than pointing it out to a dog or two to get. This is a good idea all around when you have multiple dogs anyway as a lone high value morsel on the floor is a recipe for a brawl in some households!

Teaching a wordless (auto) leave it takes time. How much time will vary with each dog. Some dogs have better natural impulse control than others and some dogs simply pick this up faster than others. It is imperative that you teach this behavior one-on-one with each dog prior to trying it in a group, especially if you have any guarding issues with any of your crew members!

Wordless leave it? Yes, indeed, wordless. Do you really want to have to endlessly tell your dogs to leave things alone, especially at this time of year, when the temptations are many? Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient to have them simply do it without being asked? Indeed it would. How you achieve this is in carefully trained steps. Here they are:

• Take a really high value treat in one hand and show it to your dog. Have more of the same treats in your other hand ready to offer as a reward. Put that hand behind your back.
• If your dog licks and paws at your offered hand to try and get the treat, don’t say anything. Simply wait for him to stop, however briefly that may be. It may take a bit and you may have to wear thin gloves to prevent your hand from getting scratched if your dog is super intent on getting the treat RIGHT NOW! Do not say anything to try to get your dog to stop, just be patient. The second your dog stops trying to get the treat or looks or backs away from the treat, even for a second, say “yes!” and offer a treat from your hidden hand. Be sure to be very enthusiastic in rewarding your dog verbally for a job well done. The timing of the marker word is important. That comes first, at the very moment that your dog makes that good decision. The treat comes after the verbal marker.
• Switch hands each time you repeat this procedure until your dogs starts looking at the hidden hand when you offer your hand. When this happens, you need to start “catching” your dog in the middle, when their attention briefly stops on you.
• Next you can place the treat inside your closed hand on a surface that is reachable by the dog. I usually start higher and then progress to a lower surface. Repeat the already described protocol, rewarding appropriately. The surface placement will make this procedure harder at first, regardless of how well your dog just did on the previous step. When your dog totally gets this step, it’s time to move on. You will likely have to practice this multiple times, in very short increments, on varying surfaces. Always take care that the reward is of equal or greater value than what you expect your dog to ignore.
• For the next step, you will place a treat inside of your closed hand on the floor. This placement is the hardest of all so be ready to move fast.You may be able to progress in one session to partially uncovering said treat while on the floor, to allow your dog to make conscious choices, being very careful that you can cover it before your dog can grasp it if he moves to take it. Remember, you will not be verbally correcting your dog at all. Your role is to mark and reward the behavior you want and only that. This needs done in very short increments to prevent frustration.
• Next you will uncover the treat even more, again taking care to be faster than your dog should you need to be. It is of vital importance that you move at the speed that your dog needs, in order to make this a solid behavior. This is not a competition. Your goal is to train this into a solidly understood behavior.
• Every success with several repetitions within an individual training session is a cue to move forward to the next step but do so only briefly. End each session on a positive successful note.
• It is important to practice this behavior in any room that it would be applicable in as well as outdoors if appropriate. It is also important to use such things that your dog might consider stealing, such as a sandwich, a piece of bread, even paper products such as paper towels, etc.
• Your goal is to progress to a point where you can toss something on the floor and have it ignored, though I would suggest that when you begin to practice with this step, you leash your dog. You will also play hockey goalie with this type of practice by placing your body between the treat and the dog, as needed. Never use the leash to separate the two, just the body language. You can also progress to simply moving your foot in front of the item or making a show of reaching for it. This will turn into a situational cue. Your guests would not know what to say to keep your dog from going after something that they dropped on the floor but they will automatically reach for it, cueing the dog that it is not theirs. You will, of course, again mark and reward your dog for the exact moment that he chooses to not go after the treat. (a hint for this particular step: use a higher value reward in your hand than the one that you are tossing)

The holidays should be a fun time for all. Training your crew to ignore yummy feasts by teaching them that they get paid well for good decisions is a win/win situation for all. Wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday season, regardless of what holiday you personally celebrate, from me and mine.

Tags: behavior, christmas, control, dogs, floor, food, frustrated, Holiday, household, impulse control, leave it, many, multiple, reward, success, training, treats

Posted in: Projects

Time in a Bottle: Finding Time to Meet the Needs of a Multiple Dog Household

Puppies are time consuming. That statement doesn’t even begin to properly convey the situation. Let me emphasize it. PUPPIES ARE TIME CONSUMING!!! I am a pro at this game and *I* am tired, so I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it must be to non-pros.

It has been very beneficial to me as a dog training and behavior professional to have a puppy in my life. But it sure has brought home the point of time constraints. However, the main difference between myself and my clients, aside from how I make my living, is that I know how to live with my puppy in such a way that I am teaching him beneficial info pretty much every moment that I interact with him.

Kenzon at 5 months

I strive to teach this to my clients as well, but it’s not something that comes as second nature by instinct, unless of course you happen to be a dog trainer! Learning how to do this can be done but it’s not what most people are used to. Training by default can make your life easier but it involves making changes to your routine. Learning to wait for the behavior that you want can be the hardest thing to do for some people. But being patient is the best gift you can give yourself and your crew.

Enlisting the aid of your adult dogs, provided they have reliable behaviors that you can reward will make your workload lighter. That is a gift from any angle! Siri and Trent are good role models for Kenzo as they are appropriate in any situation in the house. I never have to worry where they are and what they are doing. The same was true of Merlin and Kera. I like life this way so this is my goal with Kenzo. I notice the behavior that I want with the older dogs so Kenzo hears this praise and makes note of it. This has helped considerably in the kitchen, with meals. I can now trust Kenzo to wait until he is served, usually after the others are served, to build impulse control.

The same good example setting takes place on walks, with exaggerated verbal praise for what I want, being noticed by Kenzo. Of course, at his age, his exploratory nature takes first precedence, but seeing or hearing his “big brother and sister” getting some serious attention can remind him that there is virtue in paying attention to his family when outside.

Most of the time, my schedule would make even the most die-hard type A personality run for cover so it’s imperative that I make the most of the time I do have. I believe in making my actions count. So far, the basics are taking care of themselves, thanks to this method. Now onto to stepping up his social schedule so that he remains well socialized with other dogs. Wish me time in a bottle!

Tags: attention, behavior, beneficial, dogs, dot, household, impulse control, instinct, many, meals, multiple, patient, people, puppy, respect, train, walks

Posted in: Projects

Yours, Mine and Ours: Teaching a Wordless ‘Leave It’ to a Multiple Dog Crew

‘Tis the season for food in abundance and celebration en masse. Platters are laden; counters and tables hold feasts not seen on a daily basis. Temptations are great for both man/woman and beast alike. It’s hard enough for humans to not partake in excess. Yet many people expect their dogs to ignore such delights completely without giving a thought to training them for such a feat in advance.

Leaving things alone that you have not personally provided to your crew is a behavior that should be a priority from day one, but it’s never too late to start. But train in advance of the need so that you and your pups are not frustrated. Until your crew’s training is perfected, practice good environmental management. This includes not leaving enticing things within reach on counters, tables, floors, etc.

Never reward your dogs in any way for jumping up on the same raised surfaces, such as with petting, verbal comments, etc. If you drop something onto the floor that you want to give to your dogs, pick it up and hand deliver it to them rather than pointing it out to a dog or two to get. This is a good idea all around when you have multiple dogs anyway as a lone high value morsel on the floor is a recipe for a brawl in some households!

Teaching a wordless leave it takes time. How much time will vary with each dog. Some dogs have better natural impulse control than others and some dogs simply pick this up faster than others. It is imperative that you teach this behavior one-on-one with each dog prior to trying it in a group, especially if you have any guarding issues with any of your crew members!

•Take a really high value treat in one hand and show it to your dog. Have more of the same treats in your other hand ready to offer as a reward. Put that hand behind your back.
•If your dog licks and paws at your offered hand to try and get the treat, don’t say anything. Simply wait for him to stop, however briefly that may be. It may take a bit and you may have to wear thin gloves to prevent your hand from getting scratched if your dog is super intent on getting the treat RIGHT NOW! Do not say anything to try to get your dog to stop, just be patient. The second your dog stops trying to get the treat or looks or backs away from the treat, even for a second, say “yes!” and offer a treat from your hidden hand. Be sure to be very enthusiastic in rewarding your dog verbally for a job well done. The timing of the marker word is important. That comes first, at the very moment that your dog makes that good decision. The treat comes after the verbal marker.
•Switch hands each time you repeat this procedure until your dogs starts looking at the hidden hand when you offer your hand. When this happens, you can now wait until your dog looks away from either or looks at you. Mark that and then reward.
•Next you will place the treat inside your closed hand on a raised surface or some sort, eventually transitioning to the floor. How fast this moves forward depends on the individual dog. Repeat the already described protocol, rewarding appropriately. The floor placement will make this procedure hardest at first, regardless of how well your dog just did on the previous step. When your dog totally gets each step, it’s time to move on. It may take several sessions and that is okay.
•Moving forward, you will partially uncover the treat on the floor, being very careful that you can cover it before your dog can grasp it if he moves to take it. Remember, you will not be verbally correcting your dog at all. Your role is to mark and reward the behavior you want and only that.
•Next you will uncover the treat even more, again taking care to be faster than your dog should you need to be. It is of vital importance that you move at the speed that your dog needs, in order to make this a solid behavior. This is not a competition. Your goal is to train this into a solidly understood behavior.
•Every success with several repetitions within an individual training session is a cue to move forward to the next step but do so only briefly. End each session on a positive successful note.
•It is important to practice this behavior in any room that it would be applicable in as well as outdoors if appropriate.
•Your goal is to progress to a point where you can toss something on the floor and have it ignored, though I would suggest that when you begin to practice with this step, you leash your dog. You will also play goalie with this type of practice by placing your body between the treat and the dog, as needed. Never use the leash to separate the two, just the body language. This will turn into a situational cue. Your guests would not know what to say to keep your dog from going after something that they dropped on the floor but they will automatically reach for it, cueing the dog that it is not theirs. You will, of course, again mark and reward your dog for the exact moment that he chooses to not go after the treat. (a hint for this particular step: use a higher value reward in your hand than the one that you are tossing)

Tags: auto leave it, festivity with dogs, holidays with dogs, impulse control, wordless leave it

Posted in: Projects