by The Crunchy Canine | Dec 22, 2016 | BLOG
I often get inquiries from expecting parents on how to properly introduce their dog to the new baby once it arrives. In my opinion it is not as simple as just introducing the dog to the baby the right way…In fact there are quite a few things that I would suggest working on far before the baby comes home.
Most of the people who contact me will tell me they plan to bring a baby blanket home to let the dog smell it before the baby comes in and that they will play baby crying noises to get the dog used to the sound. I don’t think either of those suggestions will hurt to do, but I certainly do not think they are a guarantee that it is going to go smoothly. Of course, working with animals, there is never a guarantee with anything!
So what do I suggest that you do? These are actually things that all dogs should be able to do (or not do) regardless of whether there is a baby on the way. However, I think they are even more important if children are going to be involved.
Here are 5 things you should work on before the baby arrives. Start as early as possible to make it easier to enforce once the baby is here.
- Teach your dog to walk nicely on leash. Even though you have a new baby at home, your dog still needs exercise. You are far less likely to walk the dog if they are dragging you all over the place, especially if you have the baby stroller out as well. Many behaviour problems stem from lack of exercise and mental stimulation. A proper loose leash walk can do wonders for any dog, especially those with endless energy. You might also practice walking with the stroller so once the baby has arrived you can get started immediately.
- If your dog jumps, you need to extinguish that behaviour IMMEDIATELY. It does not matter if your dog is big or small, friendly or not. There should be ZERO jumping on people. This includes when you are sitting on the couch. I am not opposed to dogs on furniture (granted they are polite about it – if your dog guards the couch that is a different story), but dogs should have boundaries and respect personal space. So if your dog jumps all over you or guests, or jumps on people when they sit down you need to stop this from happening right away.
- If your dog guards any resource(s) you will need to work with a trainer who has experience with this issue. The most common form of guarding is over food. You will want to teach your dog not to stress out if people are near his food bowl. If your dog guards furniture (ie. growls or bites if you go near him on the couch or ask him to get off), then furniture privileges are revoked. For safety purposes, only give high value bones or treats in a safe space like a crate or a separate room.
- Set and enforce rules and boundaries. If you do not want the dog upstairs or in the baby’s room then set that rule and enforce it. Whatever rules you decide on, make sure you enforce them.
- Teach your dog the “place” command and use it. Place is two things, a command to go put all 4 feet on an object (usually a dog bed), and a state of mind. Place should be somewhere to go be calm and out of the way. This is one of the most powerful commands that you can teach your dog. It will be frustrating before it gets easy, but SO worth it in the long run.
Once it is time for the baby to come home you will want to set up the introduction properly. I suggest having the dog on leash and on “place” when the baby comes home and until everyone is settled. Only once the chaos of coming home has settled down can you release the dog from place. Try your best not to be nervous or anxious as the dog will feed off of your emotions. Do not force the dog to sniff by bending down and showing the dog the baby or by putting the carseat on the floor. The initial introduction should be calm and quiet, without any pressure to interact with the baby. You can sit down with the baby and the dog should be on the floor. The less of a big deal we make it the better. If the dog tries to jump up or gets too excited you have the leash on to help guide him to make a better decision. You can always put him back on place if needed. Over time as the dog shows he can be calm around the baby then you can allow some sniffing. It should be short and sweet and if the dog gets overly excited then stop the interaction and put him on place to calm down. This may take some time but if you go slowly it should work out just fine.
In order to make sure that things continue to go well, you need to make sure you are still exercising your dog and that he or she still gets an appropriate amount of attention. Having a new baby in the house can be overwhelming but not an excuse to ignore your dog. Simply putting the dog outside in the yard is not adequate exercise or stimulation. You will likely start to see some bad behaviours starting to appear if that is the case. Two walks per day, and some play time are required regardless of how busy you are. There are very few exceptions to this rule.
Lastly, once the dog and baby have been introduced and everything seems to be going smoothly you will want to always supervise any interaction they have. Even the most gentle dog has the ability to make a bad decision so you should never leave the dog and baby alone together. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Should you need any help with training before your baby comes home, please contact us as soon as possible! Give yourself ample time to train to set yourself and the dog up for success!
Happy Training!
Katherine
by The Crunchy Canine | Aug 23, 2016 | BLOG
Bear has crazy high ball drive. He would literally play fetch all day if he could. It is almost obsessive really.
We are working on teaching him impulse control using the controlled retrieve.
by The Crunchy Canine | Jul 25, 2016 | BLOG
How Much Exercise Does My Dog Need?
Great question! Let’s take a look at how much exercise your dog needs and how you can fulfill that need.
One of the first things I will ask a client when I first meet with them is how much exercise their dog gets? Regardless of the reason I am there (from house training to behaviour modification), exercise is important. It is rare that the dog is getting sufficient exercise and in some cases the dog is getting no exercise at all. Unless your dog has medical issues preventing them from being exercised, chances are you could up their activity level, in turn you will have a happier, healthier, and more well behaved dog (and you will be happier and healthier too)! Having said that, while exercise is important, there is a need for balance. Some dogs even with tons of exercise are still hyper and crazy at home. The answer to that issue is not more exercise but teaching the dog to relax once given adequate exercise. Balanced training is about creating balance as a whole not just in our methods. We will talk more about the teaching calm side of things in on another blog post, but for now lets talk about exercise!
So how do you know if your dog is getting sufficient exercise? There are some important factors that come into play when figuring out how much exercise your dog needs to be fulfilled. Age, size, and health are all important and a little more obvious. However, usually people forget breed, energy level and the individual dog you have in front of you. If you already have the dog (versus in the process of choosing the right dog for you), then it is too late to take into consideration these factors. You need to work with what you have and take responsibility for owning the dog you got. If you are in the process of choosing a dog, do your homework to ensure you are picking the right dog for your lifestyle.
So first thing is first, lets set a foundation for the bare minimum amount of exercise needed for almost any dog. Regardless of age, size, breed, energy level (with the exception of health issues), every dog needs two walks a day. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT, TWO WALKS A DAY. Start with two 20 minute walks a day and we will go from there. If you live on your own then you will need to find an extra (at minimum) 40 minutes in your day to walk your dog. If you have others living in the house, you can delegate walking duties to everyone in the house. It is not hard to find an extra 20 minutes each day to walk your dog. Your dog and your own personal health will benefit from it. No excuses!
So now lets talk about breed. Naturally some breeds are higher energy than others. Take for instance a Jack Russell Terrier, versus an Old English Bulldog. Both small dogs, with two VERY different energy levels. If you have a large dog you can look at an English Mastiff versus a German Shepherd. Again, two VERY different energy levels. If you have a breed that is considered high energy, you will need to add more time to those two daily walks. You are looking at a minimum of two 30-45 minute walks per day.
The next component we will look at is the individual dog. While you can get low energy JRTs or German Sheperds, they are not the rule they are the exception. And same can go for the the typically low energy dogs, you could in fact end up with one that has higher energy. So if you have a lower energy German Shepherd, then two 30 minute walks per day might be enough. However, if you have a high energy German Shepherd, two 30 minute walks might not be enough. Take an honest look at your dog’s energy level and go from there.
Now that we have addressed the foundation, breed, and individual dog, we need to address what constitutes as exercise. Obviously we are big believers in walking as a main source of exercise. However, that is not the only way to exercise your dog. We promote playing with your dog (fetch or tug are great ways to play), off leash hiking and exploring (only if your dog is trained to be off leash and in a safe place to do so), swimming (we have some great beaches and watering holes in and around Hamilton), and busy work (there are lots of toys that your dog can play with to physically and mentally exercise). Notice I did not say “backyard time” as a form of exercise? Unfortunately throwing your dog out in the yard does not count. While you can do that, it does not replace exercise.
How do you know if you need to increase your dog’s exercise? Is your dog constantly looking for something to do? Are they barking excessively for “no reason”? Are they overly demanding for attenion? Do they try to run out the door any opportunity they get? When you do take them out are they crazy and overly excited? Are they fat? Are they digging in the yard? Are they acting out on days they don’t get exercised? Do they run out the house endlessly, driving you crazy? If you said yes to any or all of these then chances are you could increase your dog’s exercise and while I cannot guarantee it will fix all your problems it is a good place to start!
So if you are struggling with your dog and want help with training, first you need to fulfill the dog with mental and physical exercise then we can train!
by The Crunchy Canine | Jul 19, 2016 | BLOG
How to train your dog not to run out the door
Teaching your dog not to run out the door could literally save his life. Dogs don’t know how dangerous it could be for them to run out the front door, and unless you teach them not to there is a good chance they will do it at least once in their life. For some dogs it happens often. In just 4 minutes I have broken down the steps to teaching your dog not to run out the door. I teach this protocol at every doorway including the gate to the backyard. Make this a default behaviour and no matter who comes in the door your dog will not run out.
