1. Leadership is about being someone worth following.

2. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

3. Dogs have deadly weapons in their mouths. Most will go their entire lives without using them. Don’t take this for granted.

4. You have a lot of power over your dog. With great power…

5. Picking up after your dog in public is sexy.

6. Stand up for your dog.

7. It’s OK to tell people to leave your dog alone.

8. Don’t let anyone bully your dog, not even a professional trainer.

9. Stay humble.

10. It’s good to have a dog who asks, “why should I?”

11. There is no way to know for sure why a dog does something. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

12. Any dog can bite.

13. Head halters may not cause pain, but that death glare your dog shoots you when you make him wear one is not in your imagination.

14. Aggression is usually fear-based.

15. Don’t take anything personally.

16. Judging a shelter dog by the way she acts in her kennel is like judging a person based on their Facebook page: you never get the whole picture and what you do see is often misleading.

17. Newly-adopted dogs may need time to grieve for their previous families.

18. Bonding with a new dog takes work; relationships are something you earn, not something you’re entitled to.

19. As the owners of “broken” rescued dogs, our job is to help them move on.

20. Hand-feeding solves a lot of problems.

21. Distractions make great training rewards.

22. Show me a dog surrendered to a shelter for destructive behavior and I’ll show you a really smart dog.

23. Boredom is the leading cause of behavior problems.

24. Smart dogs do not make good house pets.

25. Dog training reality shows are entertainment, not education.

26. Stockholm Syndrome looks a lot like unconditional love.

27. Pit bulls are the most resilient, forgiving dogs there are.

28. There may be “no such thing as a bad dog,” but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad owner.

29. If your dog has behavior problems, food bowls are your enemy.

30. Smart toys are your friend.

31. Dogs have bad days, too.

32. Training is something that happens 24/7.

33. Focus on teaching your dog what you want him to do, not what you don’t.

34. Be careful with clicker training. It’s addictive.

35. The best trainers are the ones who are willing to make fools of themselves for their dogs’ sakes.

36. Training is a mechanical skill, anyone can learn it.

37. Building a good relationship is not a mechanical skill.

38. Your dog probably thinks you’re crazy.

39. Anthropomorphism isn’t always a bad thing.

40. Sometimes it is.

41. Dropkick dogs are people too. (however, I shall continue to gleefully refer to them as “dropkick dogs” and there’s nothing you can do about it)

42. Take lots of pictures.

43. Dogs are incredible problem solvers.

44. A well-socialized, poorly-trained dog is a much better pet than a well-trained, poorly socialized one.

45. Take an agility class at least once.

46. Never train angry.

47. Teach your dog tricks.

48. A spoiled dog is not always a happy dog.

49. One of the best things you can do for your dog is to give him a job.

50. Your dog will puke all over your nicest carpet/furniture. It’s a law of the universe.

51. Most of behavior modification is about getting dogs to stop acting like dogs.

52. Let your dog be a dog sometimes.

53. It’s okay to comfort a fearful dog.

54. The job title “dog trainer” is a misnomer; a trainer’s work is mostly about training owners. The dogs are easy.

55. You can train a dog without a relationship.

56. You can have a good relationship with a dog without training.

57. Dogs are like toddlers: sometimes playing with the box is more fun than playing with the toy.

58. Just because it’s necessary doesn’t mean it’s any less evil.

59. Don’t interrupt people who are doing the impossible.

60. Everybody has an opinion. Sometimes the best thing to do is stop listening.

61. Animal shelters are not infallible.

62. Responsible breeders are not the enemy.

63. Screw grammar. A dog is a “who,” not a “that.”

64. Positive training works on people, too.

65. Humor is an acceptable and often superior tool for dealing with serious and/or painful subjects.

66. Melodramatic attempts at being heartwrenching do not make me want to throw my money at the nearest charity.

67. Show a shelter dog some respect. For that dog, you may be the only one who ever has.

68. Work with your dog. Not at him.

69. It’s worth the effort to study canine body language.

70. Learn about calming signals. They’re friggin’ awesome.

71. Diet affects behavior in dogs just like in people.

72. Learn how to read a dog food label.

73. Feed the best dog food you can afford.

74. A multiple-dog household may sometimes be a pain in the ass, but it’s never boring.

75. Build your dog a sandbox.

76. Take a walk where you let your dog stop and sniff as much as she wants.

77. Most people are good.

78. You haven’t lived until you’ve been mauled by a litter of puppies.

79. Puppies are cute for a reason.

80. Is it really separation anxiety or is your dog throwing a party while you’re out?

81. When your dog tells you to get off your lazy butt and go play with him, listen.

82. The co-evolution of our two species is one of the coolest things that has ever happened.

83. Dogs probably do have conditions for love, just not the same ones we have.

84. Foster failure is good for the soul.

85. Behavior modification is simple but it’s not easy.

86. Patience, my young padawan.

87. If you can’t get your dog to come when called, you need to fix that.

88. How a dog and owner walk together says a lot about them.

89. Volunteer at an animal shelter. It’s a good hurt.

90. Put a lot of work into raising your puppy. It’ll pay off.

91. Your dream dog is waiting for you in a shelter somewhere.

92. It’s not always the owner’s fault. Sometimes dogs are just nuts.

93. Improve your training skills. Have someone train you.

94. Cats can be trained to do awesome stuff too.

95. If you’re frustrated with your dog, chances are the feeling is mutual.

96. Take your dog hiking. Let her navigate.

97. Dog sports > dog parks.

98. Go watch a dog sports competition. Be inspired.

99. Holy crap are you still reading this.

100. Stop procrastinating on the internet. Go teach your dog something cool.

Photo credit: one two three

The style of this post was inspired by this post from Julien Smith.

So you’ve adopted a puppy who has turned out to be a little terror, and you’re thinking of finding her a new home. Despite your best efforts, some problem has come up: the puppy won’t stop biting, won’t stop pooping all over your house, or maybe she just requires a lot more work than you were expecting.

I feel your pain. And this letter is not a guilt trip – I’m sure you’ve heard the “Ohmygod how could you! A dog is a lifetime commitment!” lecture already. That kind of thing doesn’t help you, and you will find none of that here. This is just some friendly advice from someone who has been there.

I’d like to introduce you to my puppy, Friday.

I had waited my whole life for this moment and now that it was here, I was regretting it.

I thought I’d somehow ended up with the worst puppy in the world.

Does this sound at all familiar?

It seems that no amount of research can truly prepare you for the challenges involved in bringing a new puppy into your life. Challenges like:

“If this puppy doesn’t stop biting me, I’ll no longer be responsible for my actions.”

“How am I supposed to housetrain this puppy if she has an accident every time I look away for five seconds?”


Biting, chewing and housetraining: the leading cause of newly-adopted puppies being put up for sale on Craigslist.

The biting thing was the biggest issue with Friday. She never. Stopped. Chewing. On. People. It seemed like anything we did to stop it just made it worse. My family came really close to finding a new home for Friday. So I understand being totally frustrated by this kind of behavior.

There is a lot of advice out there for dealing with these issues, and it can get pretty complicated. It doesn’t have to be complicated. To deal with each of these issues (and more), remember this simple strategy:


Prevent or ignore undesirable behavior. Show the puppy what you want instead, and then reward good behavior.


How this looks for biting:

Your puppy has to learn that when she bites too hard, good things end. “Good things” are whatever she wants at any given moment. Usually, it’s play. So when she bites, you end playtime. To end playtime, stand up and turn away instantly. This has to be clear and consistent. No nagging, no “if you bite me one more time I’m leaving” kind of stuff. “But what if my puppy just attacks my feet?” So what if she attacks your feet? Wear closed-toe shoes. For her, attacking your feet while you stand completely still is much less fun than you playing with her. After a moment, show the puppy what you want instead by offering a toy (bonus points if the toy is filled with treats) and playing tug.

There’s a tutorial for stopping biting here. Be sure to read the comments section on that post for more advice.

If your puppy is biting your children, teach your kids how to be a tree.

For housetraining:

Read this post.

For chewing:

That “What have I gotten myself into? I can’t do this!” feeling? That’s normal.

Like I said, no amount of research can prepare you for the experience of your first puppy. It’s a kind of culture shock, and the only way to really learn is to do it.

The “maybe this wasn’t such a good idea” phase is something that most people go through when they get a new dog. It’s usually worse for first-time dog owners, but it can affect even the most experienced dog people.

The doubts usually set in a few days after your puppy comes home.

You might start to think that this is way more work than you were expecting. You might be put off by the disruption that having a new baby dog brings to your family. You might be afraid that you’re doing everything wrong.

Chewing, biting, housetraining and everything else that goes with raising a puppy can seem like huge problems. I know it felt that way with Friday. However, after ten years, and after working with hundreds of dogs, I can tell you that these issues are not as big a deal as they seem right now.

Puppies eventually stop trying to bite everything that moves. They eventually develop the bladder control to “hold it” for more than five minutes at a time. Eventually they grow up and no longer need 24/7 care.

It gets easier.

If you are seriously considering finding a new home for your puppy, my advice is to wait it out. You will settle into a routine. You’ll work out what you’re doing as you go. The overwhelm will go away.

Need more help? Need to vent? Email me. Please.

I don’t want you to have to get rid of your pup any more than you do. So if you need some advice, a listening ear or a pep talk, send me an email: katie@3lostdogs.com. I’m happy to help. Write “puppy help” in the subject line so that it’ll stand out in my inbox.

This too shall pass.

Friday is now ten years old (she’ll be 11 in February). She is the sweetest dog you’ll ever meet. All those horrible puppy behavior issues that made me so angry are now a distant memory -a memory that I can laugh at. I love her dearly and can’t imagine how I ever considered sending her back to the pound.

Puppyhood is a crazy time. It requires a lot of work and it will probably drive you nuts. But it doesn’t last very long and when it’s over, you will miss it. So enjoy it while it lasts, keep your sense of humor, and take lots of pictures.

Sincerely,

Katie Buvala
Head Puppy Tamer
3LostDogs.com

P.S. Do you know someone in this situation? Show them this letter. Post it on Twitter. Share it on Facebook. The more puppy owners see this, the better. Thank you.

See also:
A Beginner’s Guide to Adopted Dog Ownership
Video: Shelter Sessions Episode 1: The Taming of the Puppy
43 Tips for New Puppy Owners
Puppy Training Games

You can see exactly what search terms people use to find your Youtube channel or website. Some of these are pretty hilarious. My video How to Keep Your Dog Entertained and Out of Trouble comes up as the number one Youtube search result for “how to get your dog high.” My day was totally made when I realized that.

And some of the search terms speak to universal experiences that all dog owners can relate to:
“new puppy regret”
“new puppy sleep deprivation”
“got a new puppy can’t get anything done. “

Some are disturbing:
“dog teen makeout”

And some are just weird:
“putting your puppy in the laundry”

However, most are in the form of questions, so I thought I’d answer a handful of those questions today. Most of these questions require more detailed answers than I can provide in this video/post, so you will find links below to other 3LostDogs videos and articles that will provide the full answers you seek.


“Are Labrador retrievers supposed to be crazy as puppies?” LOL. Is the sky supposed to be blue?

“Why does my bulldog puppy get psycho hyper?” Because he’s a puppy.

“Why are puppies insane?” I don’t know. I’m sure there’s some genetic, evolutionary reason for it but I don’t know what it is.

Is My Puppy CRAZY? A Short Guide to Puppy Behavior


“New puppy! Now what?” Congratulations! Your biggest and most important tasks for the next few months will be house training and socialization. Advice for both at the links below.

A Beginner’s Guide to Adopted Dog Ownership
43 Tips for New Puppy Owners
I Just Got a New Puppy – What Do I Do With It?
Housetraining 101: The Basics


“Do you have to let your 4 month old puppy sleep in your bedroom?” No, but it does help minimize the stress that your new puppy is experiencing. He’s in a new place and away from his mother and littermates for the first time in his life. Sleeping near you is reassuring.

“What do little puppies do?” They poop and they pee and they bite.

“How do you get a new puppy to like you? Yahoo answers.” You play with it, feed it, be kind to it, and give it time to adjust. As an aside, please don’t get your dog care information from Yahoo Answers. The amount of bad advice that comes out of that site is mind boggling.


“Can I crate my dog for 8 hours?” No. Well, I’m sure you are capable of keeping a dog crated for eight hours but if your questions is SHOULD you crate your dog for eight hours, no. (Sorry. Sometimes my inner grammar Nazi breaks out of its cage)

“Is it awful to crate a puppy all day?” Yes.

“Does crating a dog make them over hyper?” Not inherently. But crating them too much might. I imagine if you were locked in a box all day you’d end up with a lot of energy to burn, too.

“Are dog crates good or bad?” Dog crates are good. But the phrase “too much of a good thing” definitely applies.

Dog Crates: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly


“How do I keep my dog from guarding his food?” The reason your dog is guarding his food is because he’s insecure and he’s afraid someone’s going to steal from him. You have to condition him to believe that people approaching his food bowl is a good thing, not a bad thing.

The Real Solution to Resource Guarding and Food Aggression


“Is dog growling always a bad thing?” No. Growling is never ever a bad thing. Growling is not aggression, it’s a dogs way of avoiding aggression. The last thing you want is a dog who stays silent when he’s uncomfortable and goes straight to biting.

The Truth About Growling Dogs


“Why would a dog yawn and have sweaty paws?” Sounds like one stressed out dog to me.

Do You Recognize These 6 Signs of a Stressed-Out Dog?


“What can you give your dog to chill him?” I don’t know… cold water?


“How do you get your dog to listen to you?”
“What do you do with a hyper dog?”
“How do you get your hyper dog to calm down?”
You buy my training kit, “Give Your Dog a Brain: How to Get Your Out of Control Dog to Chill Out, Focus, and Do What You Say.”

Or you check out these free resources:
Dog Behavior Problems: Hyper Dogs


“Leave food out multiple dogs?” Probably not a good idea. In fact I wouldn’t recommend leaving food out for a single dog. It can lead to guarding and overeating and boredom and all kinds of unpleasantness.

Keeping the Peace in a Multiple Dog Household


“How to stop my dog’s destructiveness?” Your dog is destructive because he’s bored. Play with him. Exercise him. Give him lots of things to do.

Solving Dog Behavior Problems


“What is the number one dog that will turn on you?” Chihuahuas. Shifty little bastards, they are.

Chihuahuas Are Evil: How to Keep Your Pint-Sized Pooch From Turning on You

In this episode, we’re working on basic manners with a pack of puppies.

Take a deep breath. It’s okay.

Many people’s gut reaction to resource guarding is to be deeply offended. I remember when I was a brand new dog owner and my new puppy growled at me when I tried to take a rawhide from her. I could scarcely believe it! Was my puppy… *gasp* …aggressive?!

Now that I am older and wiser and all that, I know that resource guarding and food aggression is pretty typical behavior. All but the most serious cases are fairly simple to fix.

This post is pretty long, but if you’re dealing with this problem, you’ll definitely want to take the time to read it all the way through. Resource guarding is simple but serious.


What is Resource Guarding? Why do Dogs Do It?

It’s when a dog feels he has to defend his belongings or territory. He views people approaching his food or toys as a bad thing, because he’s afraid they will take his stuff away. A dog might protect toys, food bowls, treats, trash, furniture, or even his favorite people. He’ll tense up, bare his teeth, or growl when approached. If these warnings are ignored, he may bite as a last resort.

In this post, we’re talking about dogs who resource guard against humans. Dogs may also guard against other dogs, but that’s beyond the scope of this article and will be addressed in a future post.

Before you get too upset by your dog growling at you, just realize that resource guarding and food aggression is normal dog behavior. Fido doesn’t hate you. He’s not trying to dominate you. This is one of the many behaviors (like jumping, digging, barking, crotch-sniffing, etc.) that are perfectly acceptable in canine society but frowned upon in human society.

Insecure dogs are the most likely to resource guard. A confident dog feels no need to constantly fight for his stuff. When a confident dog has a beloved toy, he’ll leave it lying around. He’ll let people pick it up, he’ll let other dogs approach (he may draw the line at them picking it up). He’s calm, cool and collected. He’s not worried about people stealing from him.

An insecure dog is another story. He’s the low man on the totem pole; anyone could come and steal from him at any time. He’ll spend a huge amount of energy making sure his belongings are safe. When there are dogs or people in the area, he’ll keep his toys close to him. He may carry them around or keep them between his paws where he can see them. At dinner time, he scarfs down his food quickly lest someone come to take his bowl away. In short, he’s pretty miserable.

The way to fix this is to teach your dog that he has nothing to fear from you. The people around him are well-meaning and nobody wants to steal from him.

Ferocious Fur Balls: Resource-Guarding Puppies

Guarding behavior is a common, and even expected, part of puppyhood. In the litter, puppies deal with fierce competition from their siblings. Any time they get ahold of a piece of food or a toy, they have to defend it or else another pup will probably take it. Puppies often carry this behavior over to their new homes.

Don’t freak out if your adorable little baby dog growls at you for coming too near a treasured object. As long as you take it seriously and address it before it becomes a major problem, resource guarding is pretty easy to fix in puppies.


The Wrong Way to Handle the Problem

3LostDogs is not one of those “positive training” blogs that just rag on traditional dog training all the time. That kind of thing gets irritating.

But come on, now.

The traditional method of dealing with resource guarding is so backwards that it would be laughable if it wasn’t so deadly. Because of that, I thought it deserved a mention here.

Food aggression is often treated as a dominance problem: by protecting his food, Fido is asserting himself as the alpha and the owner must show him who’s boss.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Resource guarding comes from insecurity, remember? It’s low-dog-on-the-totem-pole behavior.

The solution that is then used is to punish the dog for showing guarding or aggressive behavior. The dog protects his food bowl? Step in front of the dish and push him away to show him that the food belongs to you. The dog snaps when you try to get him off the sofa? Alpha-roll his ass. This battle of wills is the kind of thing you see on a lot of dog training “reality” shows. While it does make for dramatic television, it offers absolutely no long-term solution.

This ain’t something that can be solved with punishment or corrections, folks. All you accomplish when you do this is confirm Fido’s suspicion that you ARE a threat and he has to protect himself from you. The solution becomes the problem, creating a vicious cycle. There are three things that can happen when people try the dominance approach:

1. The problem gets worse and Fido actually hurts somebody. Fido will probably be euthanized now.

2. The problem doesn’t get any better and Fido’s owners give up, switching to a management approach (i.e. “leave the damn dog alone when he’s eating”).

3. It actually “works” and suppresses the behavior. It does nothing to CHANGE the behavior, so Fido’s owners now have a dog that is shut down: upset, but unable to show it. Suppressing behavior is cruel and dangerous in dogs and people alike.

Punishing a dog for growling is dangerous. And kind of absurd, since growling is actually a good thing. Say it with me now:


Growling is a Good Thing

Growling is not aggression. Growling is a dog’s way of avoiding aggression. A growl is the equivalent of saying “knock it off” or “something’s not right.” Read more about growling here. When you punish a dog for growling, all you’re doing is teaching him not to give warnings before he bites. Uh oh.

The Solution

We address several types of resource guarding here, so feel free to skip to the solution for your dog’ s particular variety. The basic principle is the same for each one: condition Fido to view people approaching as a good thing. Human hands giveth, they don’t taketh away.


Food guarding

No free-feeding: Don’t leave a bowl out for Fido to pick at whenever he wants. Fido has to learn that dinner comes from people, not from the magically-refilling bowl on the floor.

Play with your food: At dinner time, take a minute to feed Fido some kibble by hand. Fill the bowl. Before you put it on the floor, have him do some tricks. Reward each trick with a piece of food. You only have to do this three or four times, and then you can put the bowl on the floor. If Fido is too aggressive for this to be safe, skip to the next exercise and come back to this one later.

The treat tossing exercise: Feed Fido his regular food. Give him less than normal, since you’re going to be adding to it as you work. Get some really good treats, like cooked chicken or ground beef. While Fido is eating, approach the dish and toss in a couple treats. You want to keep Fido “under threshold.” If at any time Fido growls or shows other warnings, you’ve gone over threshold. Stay far enough back that Fido shows no warnings. Depending on how good your aim is, you might have to settle for tossing treats near his dish, and that’s okay.

Work on getting closer and closer while tossing treats into the dish, all the while keeping Fido under threshold. Later, you can add a brief pet on the shoulder or back before tossing in the treat.

The refill exercise: Feed Fido a very small amount of his regular dinner. Wait for him to finish it. When the bowl is empty and he has nothing left to protect, pick up the dish. Add a handful of regular food plus a really good treat. Put it back on the floor. Repeat until Fido has eaten an entire meal this way.

Furniture guarding

Teach Fido the “off” command: Invite Fido up onto the couch. When he gets up, toss a treat or toy on the floor while saying “off.” When he jumps off, praise him and let him get the treat/toy. If you train with a clicker, click as soon as his feet hit the floor.

Repeat this for about three minutes each session. When you’re not training, try to keep Fido from getting up onto the furniture by himself. Either keep him out of the room by using a crate or baby gates, or put something up on the couch so that he can’t sit on it. Cardboard boxes or folded-up folding chairs work well.

If you’d like, once you reach the point where Fido will happily get off the couch when you tell him, you can give him back the privilege of regular couch access.

Toy/object guarding

Teach the “drop it” command: Start by giving Fido a toy that he finds low-value. Then present him with a very good treat. When he releases the object, say “drop” or “give” or whatever, and then give him the treat. As soon as he’s done chewing, give him the toy back.

Start with very short sessions to prevent Fido from getting frustrated. I’m talking two to four “drops” and then done, leaving Fido to play with the toy in peace. You can gradually work your way up to longer sessions and higher-value toys.

You can generalize this by approaching Fido whenever he’s chewing on any toy, tossing him a treat, and then walking away.

The exchange game: Again, start with Fido chewing a low-value object. Approach with a higher-value object, like his favorite toy or a chew. Ask Fido to drop the low-value toy. When he does, give him the good one.

What About When You Really DO Have to Taketh Away?

All of the exercises in this post rely on you being able to either return the treasured object or exchange it for a better one. But sometimes there will be times when this isn’t possible. You might be out on a walk when Fido picks up something he shouldn’t. When you tell him to drop a piece of trash or roadkill, you can’t exactly hand it back to him.

That’s why it’s so important to spend time working on all the above exercises. Even after Fido’s resource guarding has been “cured,” continue to play the exchange game and the drop it game and the treat tossing game on a maintenance basis. The more you do, the more trust you build between you and your dog for those real-world moments.


How Long Does This All Take?

Some dogs will figure this stuff out right away. After just a training session or two they’ll look forward to you approaching the food bowl or toy. Other dogs may take days or weeks of daily training.


When Should You Seek Professional Help?

• If it’s been several weeks with no improvements
• If Fido has bitten someone or you think he probably would
• If you have young children in your home
• If you are uncomfortable doing this training or feel like you’re in over your head.

Just remember that not all trainers are created equal. Find a trainer who is familiar with the training methods and philosophies described here, as these are the most up-to-date and effective that currently exist. Watch out for any trainer who wants you to dominate your dog. Use this guide from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to learn how to find the right trainer or behaviorist.

photo credits one two three

It turned out that the Jack Russell wasn’t stubborn. He was afraid of heights! With all his sniffing, he was trying to tell his owner that he was nervous. With a little extra practice learning how to safely perform the contacts, the sniffing stopped and the team lived happily ever after, winning lots of ribbons and titles in competition.

As humans, we sometimes suck at listening to what our dogs are saying. It’s why so many dogs end up with aggression or fear issues. It’s why so many kids get bit in the face by the family dog while their distraught parents insist, “I don’t know what happened! Fido just attacked without warning.”

To help you avoid all this drama, here are some signs that indicate a dog is getting frustrated and/or freaked out. Fortunately, dogs are pretty easy to read once you know what you’re looking for.


1. Excessive shedding. Have you ever noticed how when you take Sparky to the vet, the fur starts flying? When dogs get nervous, they tend to shed a lot more than usual. Their coat might even get staticky!


2. Wet paw prints. Do your palms get sweaty when you’re nervous? Chances are, your dog’s do too. Dogs have sweat glands in their paw pads. If your dog’s feet are sweating enough for you to notice, it’s a sign of extreme stress.


3. Refusing to eat. I’ve had super-skinny shelter dogs refuse to take treats from me. They’re so stressed, they just can’t eat. Sometimes in training classes, nervous dogs lose interest in the delicious chicken or liver treats that their owners brought. Any time your dog refuses to take food that she would normally scarf down without thinking, you need to assess the situation and figure out what’s bothering her.


4. Stillness/freezing/holding his breath. This could mean that the shit’s about to hit the fan! If stillness is accompanied by:

-tense muscles/stiff legs

-ears pinned back

-licking his nose

-mouth closed with the corners of the mouth pushed slightly forward

and/or

- looking at the source of his discomfort with wide, unblinking eyes,

the dog is saying “back off.” If this warning is ignored, a bite could be imminent. When people say “Fido just attacked without warning!”, what usually happened is that Fido displayed a sequence of behaviors similar to the one above, and was ignored. To humans, this is all very subtle behavior. But the dog thinks he’s being loud and clear. If you EVER notice your dog doing this when interacting with a person or dog, you need to drop whatever you’re doing and get him out of there ASAP.

Check out this video for an excellent breakdown of this warning behavior. The video really shows how subtle it is and how fast it happens:

5. Yawning, lip licking, shaking, stretching, and a million other seemingly insignificant behaviors. As social creatures, dogs evolved with a complex system of behaviors designed to diffuse and deflect tension. These behaviors are called calming signals. Calming signals include:

Turning away, yawning, lip licking, shaking off like she’s trying to dry herself, scratching, stretching, blinking repeatedly and/or slowly, dipping the head, sneezing, lifting a paw like a bird dog on point.

Calming signals are subtle behaviors dogs offer when they are in potentially uncomfortable situations. It’s their attempt to calm themselves and others. If a dog yawns or sneezes at another dog or human, he’s saying something along the lines of “chill out, dude! It’s all good.”

Quick demo of the lip licking and yawning signals:

The lip lick:

The shake off:



6. Sniffing and acting “distracted.” These are calming signals as well, but they tend to annoy people more than the others do. Just like the Jack Russell who was trying to avoid the contact obstacles, your dog might use these to avoid unpleasant situations.

Do you have a cell phone? Ha. What am I saying. Of course you do. So you know how, when you get into awkward situations, you pretend to text to deflect the tension? Well, snffing and acting distracted are the dog equivalent of pretending to text.


But what if Fido really is distracted, and not nervous? How do I tell the difference? Not to get all New Age on you, but you have to look at the whole dog. Because you’re right: sometimes Fido really will be distracted (sniffing), or not hungry (refusing food), or he may have an itch (scratching). The real warning sign is when it’s combined with other calming/stress signals.

So Fido keeps sniffing the ground. Look at his body language. Is he relaxed and comfortable? If you offer a treat, will he eat it? Does he acknowledge you when you talk to him? Then he’s probably fine.

But what if he’s sniffing the ground, and he’s shedding a lot? Is his tail tucked low? Is he ignoring you? Does he sneeze, scratch, stretch or yawn frequently? Something’s wrong.

The bottom line is that you have to get to know your dog. Learn all his quirks. Figure out what scares him. Figure out what makes him uncomfortable. Any time you notice him getting stressed, it’s your responsibility to either get him out of the situation, or take a step back and work through the problem with him. As a result, Fido will trust you and look to you for help whenever he gets into a situation he can’t handle.

Jack Russell photo credit

Damn. That actually sounds like it would be kind of cool… but I digress.

Do a Google search and you’ll see statements like this:

“The truth the pet experts don’t want you to know!”

“Top ten dog training secrets revealed!”

These messages have more to do with clever marketing techniques than clever dog training techniques. If you do a little digging into the methods that these gurus claim are so secret, they always turn out to be the same stuff that the rest of us use. (Either that, or it’s something so off-the-wall that it prompts reactions like, “WTF? Dude, were you high when you came up with that?”)

The bad news is that there is no secret training technique that will turn your dog into a perfect angel in ten minutes.

The good news is that all the information you need to turn your dog into a perfect angel, with a little bit of work, is out there. And the truth?

The real truth?

The experts really do want you to know how to use it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy a trench coat.

Here’s a transcript of the video:

1. Reward your dog for doing nothing
I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that the thing you most want from your dog is for him to chill out and stay out of trouble. But he already does this, at least some of the time. The problem is that you ignore him when he’s doing it. He only gets attention when he misbehaves.

Think about it.

You’re going about your day. Fido is lying on the floor, maybe chewing a dog toy or just watching the goings-on. Good dog! This is EXACTLY what you want him to be doing! But you are busy doing other things, so you don’t really notice him.

An hour later, Fido gets bored. He goes and looks for something to do, like stealing food off the counter, or barking at the neighbors, or jumping on the kids. Now he suddenly has your full and complete attention!

Any behavior that gets rewarded is likely to be repeated. Don’t wait until your dog is misbehaving to give him attention. Make an effort to notice those times when he is “doing nothing,” like sitting on the floor chilling out. Reward him with a treat, petting, or a toy.

2. Ditch the food bowl
I mentioned this in my last video as a good way to provide your dog with a job to do. Everyone always tells you that if you have a hyper dog, you have to exercise him. But they don’t think about the fact that dogs also need mental exercise. A very simple way to provide your dog with mental exercise is to have him work for his food. So in the morning, ration out a day’s worth of Fido’s food. Instead of dumping it in his bowl at meals, use it for short training sessions spread throughout the day. Also use it to reward him for doing nothing.

Whatever you don’t use for training should be put into treat dispensing toys.

3. Mischief Management
Management is about keeping your dog under control and out of trouble through the use of tools like crates, baby gates, and closed doors. Management is not training, but it is complementary to training. By preventing your dog from doing something wrong, you set him up for success when you do start training him.

To stop your dog from pulling on leash, you would teach her to walk nicely at your side. In the meantime, you’d use management tools to keep her from pulling. My favorite anti-pull tool is the front clip harness. It’s similar to a regular harness, but it clips at the dog’s chest. When she pulls, it redirects that forward motion to the side. With a front-clip there is no risk of injury like there is with a prong collar or Gentle Leader.

Give Your Dog a Brain
So this is where I talk a little about the thing I’m selling. “Give Your Dog a Brain” is a training course inspired by the countless number of hyperactive and out-of-control dogs that I have worked with in my years of animal shelter volunteering. It’s for:

-Dogs who get anxious or overexcited in distracting environments
-Dogs who freak out when the doorbell rings or when you put his leash on
-Dogs who pull on leash
-Dogs who can’t focus and seem to “blow you off” when you tell them to do something

The program contains an ebook and a bunch of video tutorials.

But wait, there’s more! It also includes a 30 minute Skype consult where you and I can talk and come up with the right plan of action for you and your dog. If you’re interested, check out giveyourdogabrain.com

If this sounds like something you could use, great! If not, great! I still love you and I will continue to create free content for 3LostDogs.com.

Every dog trainer has a “niche” — a type of dog that they really like to work with and that they’re really good at working with. For some trainers it’s fearful dogs, for others it’s aggressive dogs. For me, it’s these crazy hyper psycho dogs (as I lovingly refer to them).

I like to go down to the county dog pound where I volunteer and pick out the most crazy, high-strung dogs there. These dogs start out SO ANXIOUS and EXCITED and just GOING AT A MILLION MILES AN HOUR! But as you work with them, you start to see them slow down and use their brains again. They take a breath and go, “oh. I don’t have to be like this.”

So that’s pretty awesome to see. But before you can do any of this work, you have to figure out why. Why is your dog like this? Here are some common reasons:

Adolescence
If your dog is between the ages of six months and two years, he is a teenager. Even though he may look like a grownup at this age, he’s still a puppy. And he’s at that age where puppies realize that there is a big exciting world out there… and maybe he doesn’t have to listen to his owner anymore. The good news is that this stage doesn’t have to last. Depending on your dog’s size (small dogs mature faster than big dogs) he’ll start to calm down around age 2-3. The bad news is that any bad habits Fido picks up as a teen will stick around into adulthood. So training these teenage puppies is just as important as training baby puppies.

Fido has been rewarded for his obnoxious behavior
I don’t mean rewarded like, “Oh, what a good boy Fido! You jumped on my guests and knocked them over! Want a cookie?” I mean that he has gotten what he wanted by using this behavior in the past. He figures that if he just sits still minding his own business, you pretty much ignore him. But if he gets up and jumps on your guests, then suddenly he’s the center of attention! Everyone is yelling and freaking out and it’s awesome! Maybe he should try this again next time.

Or to use another example: pulling on leash. A lot of people have this weird thing about dogs who pull on leash. It’s always personal. Either they think their dog is stubborn, or they think their dog is trying to dominate them.

Nope.

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Ready for this?

The reason your dog pulls on leash is because pulling on leash gets him where he wants to go FASTER. That’s it. End of story.

So, look at all your dog’s bad habits and ask yourself: Is Fido being rewarded for this? And how do I stop rewarding him for it?

Diet
Believe it or not, the ingredients in your dog’s kibble may be at least partially responsible for his hyper behavior. We know that certain foods and food additives can have a negative affect on our behavior, and we’re seeing the same thing with dogs. A lot of dogs have a problem with cheap grains. Guess what? Most dog foods use cheap grains as filler. Hyperactivity, lack of focus and and anxiety can also be caused by:

-A B-vitamin deficiency
-Food dyes
-A low protein diet

I encourage you to do your own research on this subject. The world of pet food is an interesting and sometimes frightening subject.

Exercise – not enough
If you want a well behaved dog, you’re gonna have to exercise him. Dogs were not meant to sit around on the couch all day. A long walk in the morning, 30-60 minutes, and then a shorter walk in the evening is ideal. I know that walking the dog is not always possible, especially if Fido pulls on leash so hard that it’s dangerous to walk him. So you can also try tug of war, playing fetch or frisbee, or setting up a homemade agility course in your backyard. It doesn’t have to be major deal.

Exercise – too much
I know the big thing right now is that if your dog is misbehaving, it means you are not exercising him enough – you must run him until his feet fall off. But seriously, dogs don’t need that much exercise. I know people who have taken their dogs for three mile jogs in the morning, but when they get home, the dog’s behavior is either no better, or even worse than when they started. That’s because the dog is now full of adrenaline and endorphins and all that good stuff, and the only way to release that adrenaline is to tear up the sofa cushions.

If you exercise your dog only to find that his hyperactivity has gotten worse, it probably means there is an imbalance between mindless exercise and mental stimulation. Which brings us to…

Boredom
Your dog can go for a two hour run every day but still be bouncing off the walls at home because he is bored out of his mind. Mental stimulation is just as important as exercise. So put your dog’s brain power to good use and give him a job. A job can be as complex as getting into agility classes or as simple as having him work for his food.

Your assignment, if you choose to accept it:
Take a good look at all these factors and consider whether or not they apply to your situation. If they do, how can you improve on them?

Check out part two of this mini-series, where I show you 3 Tips for Training Hyper Out-of-Control Dogs

The out-of-control-dog project/Dazee the pit bull
Is your dog crazy? Hyper? A total nut who never listens to you? You ain’t alone. The most common questions I get as a dog trainer have to do with out-of-control dogs. Seems that a lot of people are at their wits’ end with dogs who:

-Get anxious, stressed or overexcited in distracting environments.
-Go nuts when the doorbell rings or if they even suspect they might get to go for a walk.
-Pull on leash when taken for said walk.
-Can’t focus and ignore their owners, either because they are too nervous or because everything else is SO MUCH MORE EXCITING!

I’m putting together an online training course that will teach you how to get your dog to chill out, focus, and do what you say. It’ll have an ebook and worksheets, as well as video, which is where Dazee comes in. Dazee is staying with me for a week. I’m doing some training exercises with her, which will be put on video and used in the training course to show you how it’s all done.

Targeting
Targeting is simple; you hold out your hand and your dog touches it with her nose. Not the most flashy trick, but it is a very useful trick. It’s also quick and easy to teach:

Step one: Hold a small treat between your fingers and hold your hand out flat. When Fido goes to sniff the treat and touches your hand, praise (or click) and reward.
Step two: This time, hold your hand out flat without a treat in your fingers. Wait for your dog to touch it, then reward.
Step three: Now it’s time to add the vocal cue. As Fido touches your hand, say “touch” or “target” or something. Repeat a few times to give Fido time to associate the word with the action, and then you can start using the word as a command.

Some ideas for how to use targeting:

-Teaching your dog to come when called. Gradually have your dog target your hand from farther and farther away.

-As a form of luring (see How to Teach Your Dog Practically Anything P2: Lure/Reward) Have your dog target your hand instead of following a treat.

-Getting your dog to stop jumping on visitors. Having the dog target your guests’ hands gives them a way to interact without jumping.

Clicker practice. If you train with a clicker, it’s a great way to practice your timing.

Helping overexcited/anxious dogs. Targeting gives them a simple distraction to focus on.